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ITINERARY 



OF 



General Washington 



FROM 



June 1^, 1773 > to December 2}, ijSj, 



BY 

WILLIAM S. BAKER, 

APTHOE or THE "ENGRAVED P0ETRAIT8 OF WASHINGTON," " MEDALLIC PORTRAITS OF 

WASHINGTON," "CHARACTER PORTRAITS OF WASHINGTON," "BIBLIOTHECA 

WASHINOTONIANA," ETC., ETC. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 
1892. 

6.- . 



Copyright, 1892, 

BY 

"William Spohx Baker. 

A/ 

i6' 



5^ 



Printed by J. B. Lippii5co,tt;Company, Philadelphia. 



I I- 



INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 



The Itinerary of General Washington during the war for 
independence, originallv published in the " Pennsylvania 
Magazine of History and Biography" (vols, xiv., xv.), is now 
brought together in a single volume, with many additions. 

As issued in the Magazine, it became apparent, after the 
appearance of the early portions of the work, that the sub- 
ject admitted of a much broader treatment than had been 
intended; and that the introduction of additional matter, 
covering as much as possible the prominent events of the 
struggle, would render it more usefal both for reference 
and as a study of the character of "Washington, without in 
any way conflicting with the form of an Itinerary. This 
plan was accordingly adopted for the subsequent numbers. 

The additions, therefore, are principally limited to the 
first three years of the record as originally published. 

As day by day we follow Washington through the pages 
of the Itinerary, we become more and more impressed -with 
the earnestness, steadfastness, and truthfiilness of his char- 
acter, and feel assured that to his high sense of duty, and 
almost sleepless vigilance, we are mainly indebted for the 
successfnl issue of the battle for freedom. 

History furnishes no finer type of manhood, no purer ex- 
ample of patriotism, than our WASHixGToy I 

W. S. Baker. 

Philadelphia. February 22, 1892. 



ITINERARY 



OF 



GENERAL WASHINGTON. 



177^ 

THUKSDAT, JUNE 15. 

At Philadelphia, as a delegate to Congress from the Col- 
ony of Virginia : On this day Congress, in session at the 
State 'H.oviseA Besolved, "That a General be appointed to 
command all the Continental Forces, raised or to be raised 
for the defence of American libert;^]} t . 

" That five hundred dollars per month be allowed for the 
pay and expenees of the General. 

^The Congress then proceeded to the choice of a General "^ 
by ballot, and George "WASHiNGTOisr, Esq., was unanimously ^ 
elected.lJt— Journal of Congress. 

The second Continental Congress met at Philadelphia, May 10, 1775, and 
it is recorded by John Adams that " Colonel Washington appeared every 
day in his uniform, and by his great experience and abilities in military 
matters, was of much service to all." At the session of June 15, however, 
in consequence of Mr. Adams having stated at a previous meeting that it 
was his intention to propose for the ofBce of Commander-in-Chief a gentle- 
man from Virginia, and one of their body, Washington was not present. 
The nomination was made by Thomas Johnson, a delegate from Maryland. 

FKIDAY, JUNE 16. 

At Philadelphia, in Congress : " The President [John 
Hancock] informed Col. Washington that the Congress had 
yesterday unanimously made choice of him to be General 
and Commander in Chief of the American forces, and re- 
quested he would accept of that employment ; to which Col. 
Washington standing in his place answered. 

f 



2 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

" ' Mr. President. 

" ' Though I am truly sensible of the high honor done me 
in this appointment, yet, I feel great distress from a con- 
sciousness, that my abilities and military experience may 
not be equal to the extensive and important trust : How- 
ever, as the Congress desire it, I will enter upon the mo- 
mentous duty, and exert every power I possess in their 
service and for support of the glorious cause. I beg they 
will accept my most cordial thanks for this distinguished 
testimony of their approbation. 

" ' But, lest some unlucky event should happen unfavour- 
able to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every 
Gentleman in the room, that I this day declare with the 
utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the com- 
mand I am honored with. 

" ' As to pay. Sir, I beg leave to assure the Congress, that 
as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to 
accept this arduous employment, at the expence of my do- 
mestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any 
profit from it. I will keep an exact account of my ex- 
pences. Those I doubt not they will discharge, and that 
is all I desire.' " — Journal of Congress. 

SATUEDAY, JUNE 17. 

At Philadelphia: This day. Congress in session passed 
the following resolution: "Whereas the Delegates of all 
the Colonies from Nova Scotia to Georgia, in Congress as- 
sembled, have unanimously chosen George Washington Esq. 
to be General and Commander in Chief, of such Forces as 
are or shall be raised for the maintenance and preservation 
of American Liberty ; this Congress doth now declare, that 
they wall maintain and assist him, and adhere to him the 
said George Washington, with their Lives and Fortunes in 
the same Cause." — Journal of Congress. 

" I can now inform you, that the Congress have made choice of the modest 
and virtuous, the amiable, generous and brave George Washington, Esquire, 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 3 

to be General of the American army, and that he is to repair, as soon as 
possible, to the camp before Boston. This appointment will have a great 
eflfect in cementing and securing the union of these colonies." — John Adams 
to Mrs. Adams, June 17. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 18. 

At Philadelphia : " It has been determined in Congress, 
that the whole army raised for the defence of the American 
Cause shall be put under my care and that it is necessary 
for me to proceed immediately to Boston to take upon me 
the Command of it. — You may believe me, my dear Patcy, 
when I assure you, in the most solemn manner, that, so far 
from seeking this appointment I have used every endeavour 
in my power to avoid it not only from my unwillingness to 
part with you and the Family, but a consciousness of its 
being a trust too great for my capacity and that I should 
enjoy more real happiness and felicity, in one month with 
you at home than I have the most distant prospect of reap- 
ing abroad, if my stay were to be Seven times Seven years. 
But as it has been a kind of destiny that has thrown me 
upon this Service, I shall hope that my undertaking of it is 
designed to answer some good purpose." — Washington to 
Ilrs. Washington, June 18. 

" There is something charming to me in the conduct of Washington. A 
gentleman of one of the first fortunes upon the continent, leaving his de- 
licious retirement, his family and friends, sacrificing his ease, and hazarding 
all in the cause of his country ! His views are noble and disinterested. He 
declared, when he accepted the mighty trust, that he would lay before us an 
exact account of his expenses, and not accept a shilling for pay." — John 
Adams to Elbridge Gerry, June 18. 

MONDAY, JUNE 19. 

At Philadelphia: Receives his commission, appointing 
him " General and Commander in Chief of the Army of 
the United Colonies, and of all the forces raised, or to be 
raised by them." 

^' In Congrkss. — The delegates of the United Colonies of New-Hamp- 
shire, Massachusetts bay, Ehode Island, Connecticut, New -York, New 



4 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Castle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware, Mary- 
land, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.* 

" To Gborge Washington Esquire. 
" "We reposing especial trust and confidence in your patriotism, conduct 
and fidelity Do by these presents constitute and appoint you to be General 
AND Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies and of 
all the forces raised or to be raised by them and of all others who shall vol- 
untarily oflfer their service and join the said army for the defence of Amer- 
ican Liberty and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof. \A^t> you are 
1 hereby vested with full power and authority to act as you shall think for 

VA'*^''^ I » » , ^ the good and welfare of the service; 

" And we do hereby strictly charge and require all officers and soldiers 
under your command to be obedient to your orders and diligent in the ex- 
ercise of their several duties. 

"And we do also enjoin and require you to be careful in executing the 
great trust reposed in you, by causing strict discipline and order to be ob- 
served in the army and that the soldiers are duly exercised and provided^ 
with all convenient necessaries. 
^ Cl^ "ANip you arT^o regulate your conduct in every respect by the rules and 
^ discipline of war (as herewith given you) and^^punctually to observe and 
follow such orders and directions from time to time as you shall receive from 
V this or a future Congress of the said United Colonies or a committee of 
Congress for that purpose appointed, j 
" This Commission to continue iniorce until revoked bv this or a future 



Congress. 

" Dated Philadelphia June 19th 1775. 
•'Attest Chas. Thomson Seer." 



" By order of the Congress. 
" John Hancock, President. 



TUESDAY, JUNE 20. 

At Philadelphia : " On Tuesday morning [June 20] the 
three battalions of this city and liberties, together with the 
artillery company, a troop of light horse, several companies 
of light infantry, rangers and riflemen, in the whole about 
two thousand, marched out to the Commons, and, having 
joined in brigade, were reviewed by General Washington, 
who is appointed Commander in Chief of all the iN^orth 
American forces by the honorable Continental Congress, 
when they went through the manual exercise, firings and 

* Georgia was not represented in Congress until the 13th of September. 



' 1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 5 

manoeuvres, with great dexterity and exactness." — Pennsyl- 
vania Evening Fost, June 22, 1775. 

" I have been called upon by the unanimous voice of the Colonies to take 
the command of the Continental army ; an honor I neither sought after, 
nor desired, as I am thoroughly convinced, that it requires greater abilities 
and much more experience than I am master of, to conduct a business so 
extensive in its nature, and arduous in the execution. But the partiality 
of Congress, joined to a political motive, really left me without a choice ; 
and I am now commissioned a General and Commander-in-chief of all the 
forces now raised, or to be raised, for the defence of the United Colonies. 
That I may discharge the trust to the satisfaction of my employers is my 
first wish ; that I shall aim to do it, there remains little doubt. How far I 
may succeed is another point." — Washington to John Augustine Washington, 
June 20. 

THUKSDAY, JUNE 22. 

At Philadelphia : Is entertained at a farewell supper, 
given in his honor, at the City Tavern, at which several 
distinguished citizens of Philadelphia assisted. 

The City Tavern was erected in 1773 by a voluntary subscription of the 
principal gentlemen of Philadelphia, for the convenience of the public. It 
stood on the west side of Second Street, above "Walnut, No. 86, corner of 
the present Gold Street, formerly Bank Alley, and was subsequently known 
as "The Merchants' Coflfee-House." When first opened, in the early part 
of 1774, with Daniel Smith as the landlord, it was considered the largest 
and most elegant house of its kind in America. The site, in connection 
with adjoining ground extending to "Walnut Street, is now occupied by 
" The Anthracite Building," erected about thirty-five years ago. 

FKIDAY, JUNE 23. 

Leaves Philadelphia: "Yesterday morning [June 23] 
the Generals A^"ashixgton and Lee set off from this city 
[Philadelphia] to take command of the American army at 
Massachusetts Bay. They were accompanied from town by 
the troop of light horse, and by all the officers of the city 
militia on horseback, who went no farther than about five 
miles, when they returned, but the former continued with 
them, and how far they will go is uncertain." — Pennsylvania 
Evening Post, June 24, 1775. 



6 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON [1775 

Washington left Philadelphia on horseback, and travelled in that man- 
ner all the way to Cambridge ; the first entry in the account current that he 
rendered at the conclusion of the war being as follows : "To the purchase 
of five Horses (two of which were had on credit from Mr. James Mease) to 
equip me for my Journey to the Army at Cambridge — & for the Service I 
was then going upon — having sent my Chariot and Horses back to Virginia, 
£239 — ." General Schuyler, Thomas Mifllin, and Joseph Eeed were also 
of the party, which before reaching Trenton was met by a courier bearing 
despatches to Congress concerning the battle of Bunker Hill. The troop 
of light horse which acted as an escort is now known as the " First Troop 
Philadelphia City Cavalry." It was organized November 17, 1774, and 
bears an honorable record for services rendered during the war. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 24. 

At 'E&w Brunswick, New Jersey : " General Washington, 
with his retinue, is now here [New Brunswick], and pro- 
poses to be at Newark by nine to-morrow morning. Tiie 
situation of the men-at-war at New York (we are informed) 
is such as to make it necessary that some precaution should 
be taken in crossing Hudson's river, and he would take it 
as a favor if some gentleman of your body would meet him 
to-morrow at Newark, as the advice you may then give him 
will determine whether he will continue his proposed route 
or not." — General Schuyler to the President of the New York 
Provincial Congress, June 24. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 

At Newark, New Jersey : Meets a committee appointed 
by the Provincial Congress of New- York to attend him 
to the city. Committee : John Sloss Hobart, Melancthon 
Smith, Eichard Montgomery, and Gouverneur Morris. 
Arrives at New York about two o'clock in the afternoon, 
crossing the Hudson at Hoboken. 

'■^ June 25 — This afternoon at four [? two] o'clock, General Washington, 
attended by Generals Lee and Schuyler, and the light-horse of Philadelphia, 
on the way for the American camp at Cambridge, landed at Colonel Lispen- 
ard's seat, about a mile above New York [in the vicinity of Laight Street, 
near Greenwich], from whence they were conducted into the city, by nine 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 7 

companies of foot, in their uniforms, and a greater number of tne principal 
inhabitants of that city than ever appeared on any occasion before." — Riv' 
ingion's Gazetteer, June 29, 1774. 

MONDAY, JUNE 26. 

At New York : Receives and answers, at half-past two in 
the afternoon, an address from the Kew York Provincial 
Congress, and leaves for Kingsbridge. 

" New York. July 3. 1775. — On Monday last [June 26] General 
Washington with his suite, attended by the several New York Military 
Companies, and likewise by a Troop of Gentlemen of the Philadelphia Light 
Horse, commanded by Captain Markoe, and a number of the inhabitants 
of this city, set out for the Provincial Camp at Cambridge, near Boston. 
The General rested that night at Kingsbridge [fourteen miles from the 
city], and the next morning proceeded on his journey ; The Troop returned 
to this city the next evening, and departed hence for Philadelphia, the 
Thursday following." — Permsylvania Journal, July 5, 1775. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 27. 

Leaves Eangsbridge : General Schuyler, who had been 
commissioned to " take command of all the troops destined 
for the i^ew York department," accompanied him as far as 
i^ew Rochelle, Westchester County, where they met and 
conferred with General Wooster. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28. 

At New Haven, Connecticut: Reviews a military com- 
pany of students of Yale College, and " lodges at the house 
of the late Isaac Beers." 

" New Haven, July 5, 1775. — Last Wednesday [June 28], his excellency 
General Washington, Major General Lee, Major Thomas Mifflin, General 
Washington's aid-de-camp, and Samuel Griffin, Esq. General Lee's aid-de- 
camp, arrived in town, and early next morning they set out for the Pro- 
vincial Camp, near Boston, attended by great numbers of the inhabitants 
of the town. They were escorted out of town by two companies dressed in 
their uniform, and by a company of young gentlemen belonging to the 
Seminary in this place, who made a handsome appearance, and whose ex- 
pertness in the military exercises gained the approbation of the Generals." 
— Connecticut Historical Collections. 



8 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

THUKSDAY, JUNE 29. 

At "Wethersfield, Connecticut : " Philadelphia, June 22, 
1775. This will be handed you by his Excellency, General 
"Washington, in company with General Lee, and retinue. 
Should they lodge a night in "Wethersfield, you will accom- 
modate their horses, servants, &c., in the best manner at the 
tavern, and their retinue will likely go on to Hartford." — 
Silas Deane to Mrs. Deane. 

The house occupied by Silas Deane at "Wethersfield, and at which, in all 
probability, Washington stayed on the night of June 29, was next south of 
the "Webb House," the place of conference between Washington and 
Kochambeau, May 22, 1781. The house, which is still standing, was after- 
wards known as the residence of Stephen Chester. 

FEIDAY, JUNE 30. 

At Springfield, Massachusetts : Meets a committee from 
the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts Bay, — Dr. Ben- 
jamin Church and Moses Gill, — who had provided escorts 
for the remainder of the journey, through Brookfield, 
Worcester and Marlborough to Watertown. 

SUNDAY, JULY 2. 

At Watertown, Massachusetts : Arrives in the morning, 
attended by the committee and a train of other gentlemen, 
under escort of a company of horse from Marlborough, and 
receives an address from the Provincial Congress, then in 
session at Watertown, which he answers by letter of July 
4. Leaves in the afternoon, for Cambridge, three miles 
distant, and arrives at two o'clock. 

MONDAY, JULY 3. 

At Cambridge, Massachusetts : Takes command of the 
army on Cambridge Common, at nine o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and afterwards visits the several posts occupied by the 
American troops. 

The first house occupied by the Commander-in-Chief at Cambridge, as 
head-quarters, was known as the "President's House," built by Harvard 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 9 

College in 1726, for the use of its presidents. The house of John Vassall, a 
fugitive royalist, known later as the Craigie house, and still later as the 
residence of Henry "W. Longfellow, was made head-quarters about the 
middle of July. This house, which is still owned and gccupied by the 
Longfellow family, Washington retained as his quarters until he left Cam- 
bridge for New York, April 4, 1776. 

TUESDAY, JULY 4. 

At Cambridge : Orderly Booh — " The Continental Con- 
gress, having now taken all the Troops of the several Col- 
onies, which have been raised, or which may be hereafter 
raised for the support and defence of the Liberties of Amer- 
ica ; into their Pay and Service : They are now the Troops 
of the United Provinces of North America ; and it is hoped 
that all Distinction of Colonies will be laid aside ; so that 
one and the same spirit may animate the whole, and the 
only Contest be, who shall render, on this great and trying 
occasion, the most essential Service to the great and common 
cause in which we are all engaged." 

The army in front of Boston at this time, composed of troops from Mas- 
sachusetts, Khode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, brought to- 
gether after the battle of Concord and Lexington, was estimated to be about 
fourteen thousand five hundred effective men. Intrenchments had been 
thrown up on Winter and Prospect Hills, on the left, and at Koxbury on 
the right, with works at intermediate points. The college buildings and 
houses in Cambridge were also occupied by the troops. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5. 

At Roxbury: "Yesterday [July 5], as I was going to 
Cambridge, I met the generals [Washington and Lee], who 
begged me to return to Koxbury again, which I did. When 
they had viewed the works, they expressed the greatest 
pleasure and surprise at their situation and apparent utility, 
to say nothing of the plan, which did not escape their 
praise." — Henry Knox to Mrs. Knox, July 6. 

Henry Knox, who commenced his military career as a volunteer aid to 
General Ward at Bunker Hill, was at this time serving as an engineer. 
" The chief work constructed by him was the strong redoubt crowning the 
hill in Koxbury, known as Roxbury Fort, the site of which is now [1873] 



10 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

covered by the Cochituate Stand Pipe."* He was commissioned colonel 
of the artillery regiment, 17 November, 1775; brigadier-general, 27 Decem- 
ber, 1776, and major-general, 22 March, 1782, dating from 15 November, 
1781. 

THURSDAY, JULY 6. 

At Cambridge : Visits all tlie American posts, and recon- 
noitres tlie enemy's works. 

"JwZy 1775. — To the Expences of myself & party reconnoitr the Sea 
Coast East of Boston Harbor. . £18. 13. 2." — Washington's Accounts. 

SUNDAY, JULY 9. 

At Cambridge : A council of war, in which it was unani- 
mously determined to defend tlie posts as occupied, and 
that measures ought to be immediately taken to increase 
the army by recruits. 

" General "Washington fills his place with vast ease and dignity, and dis- 
penses happiness around him. General Lee will become very popular soon. 
I am. obliged to go to Cambridge to wait on General Washington, and 
promised to be there by seven o'clock. I am now half past that time." — 
Henry Knox to Mrs. Knox, July 9. 

MONPAY, JULY 10. 

At Cambridge : " Our enemies have attempted nothing 
against us since my arrival here. They are strongly posted 
on Bunker's Hill, and are still busy in throwing up addi- 
tional works. We have thrown up several lines and re- 
doubts between Mystic River and Dorchester Point, to pre- 
vent their making way into the country, and in a few days 
we shall be well prepared to receive them in case a sortie is 
attempted." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

"Our lines on Winter and Prospect Hills, and those of the enemy on 
Bunker's Hill are in full view of each other, a mile distant, our advance 
guards much nearer, and the sentries almost near enough to converse ; at 
Roxbnry and Boston Neck it is the same. Between these, we are obliged 
to guard several of the places at which the enemy may land." — Washington 
to Richard Henry Lee, July 10. 

* Life and Correspondence of Henry Knox. By Francis S. Drake, p. 18. 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 11 

THURSDAY, JULY 13. 

At Roxbury : " Jidi/ ISth. — A heavy cannonade from the 
British, at the American workmen — but no damage done. 
Gen. Washington visited the camp." — Heath's Memoirs. 

FEIDAY, JULY 14. 

At Cambridge : Orderly Book. — " It is recommended both 
to Officers and Men to make themselves acquainted with 
the persons of all the Officers in General Command, and in 
the mean time, to prevent mistakes : The General Officers 
and their Aids-de-Camp will be distinguished in the follow- 
ing manner. 

" The Commander-in-Chief by a light blue Ribband, worn 
across his breast, between his Coat and Waistcoat. 

" The Majors and Brigadiers General by a Pink Ribband 
worn in the like manner. 

" The Aids-de-Camp by a green ribband." 

" His Excellency, General Washington, has arrived amongst us, univer- 
sally admired. Joy was visible in every countenance, and it seemed as if 
the spirit of conquest breathed through the whole army. I hope we shall 
be taught, to copy his example, and to prefer the love of liberty, in this 
time of public danger to all the soft pleasures of domestic life, and support 
ourselves with manly fortitude amidst all the dangers and hardships that 
attend a state of war. And I doubt not, under the General's wise direction, 
we shall establish such excellent order and strictness of discipline as to in- 
vite victory to attend him wherever he goes." — General Greene to Samuel 
Ward, July 14. 

SATURDAY, JULY 15. 

At Cambridge : Present at the reading, by President 
Langdon of Harvard College, of the Declaration of Con- 
gress (July 6), setting forth the causes and necessity of the 
United Colonies taking up arms. 

" Yesterday morning [July 18], according to orders issued the day before 
by Major-General Putnam, all the continental troops under his immediate 
command assembled on Prospect Hill, when the declaration of the Conti- 
nental Congress was read, after which, an animated and pathetic address to 
the army was made by the Rev. Mr. Leonard, chaplain to General Putnam's 



12 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

regiment, and succeeded by a pertinent prayer ; when General Putnam gave 
the signal, and the whole army shouted their loud amen by three cheers ; 
immediately upon which, a cannon was fired from the fort, and the standard 
lately sent to General Putnam was exhibited flourishmg in the air, bearing 
on one side this motto — 'An Appeal to Heaven I' and on the other side, — 
' Qui Transtulii SusiinetP The whole was conducted with the utmost 
decency, good order, and regularity, and to the universal acceptance of all 
present. And the Philistines on Bunker's Hill heard the shout of the 
Israelites, and being very fearful, paraded themselves in battle array." — 
Essex Gazette. 

THURSDAY, JULY 20. 

At Cambridge : A day of public humiliation, fasting, and 
prayer, recommended by Congress, June 12. 

" July 20, 1775. — I have been much gratified this day with a view of 
General Washington. His Excellency was on horseback in company with 
several military gentlemen. It was not difficult to distinguish him from all 
others ; his personal appearance is truly noble and majestic ; being tall and 
well proportioned. His dress is a blue coat with bufi" colored facings, a rich 
epaulette on each shoulder, bufi" under dress, and an elegant small sword; 
a black cockade in hi's hat." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SATURDAY, JULY 22. 

At Cambridge : By general orders of this day, the army 
was distributed into three grand divisions. One, forming 
the right wing, was stationed on the heights of Roxbury ; 
it was commanded by Major-General Ward, Another, form- 
ing the left wing, under Major-General Lee, was stationed 
on "Winter and Prospect Hills; while the centre, under 
Major-General Putnam, was stationed at Cambridge. 

THURSDAY, JULY 27. 

At Cambridge : " The enemys force, including marines, 
Tories, &c are computed, from the best accounts I can get, 
at about twelve thousand men ; ours, including sick absent 
&c., at about sixteen thousand; but then we have a semi- 
circle of eight or nine miles to guard to every part of which 
we are obliged to be equally attentive ; whilst they, situated 
as it were in the centre of the semicircle, can bend their 
whole force (having the entire command of the water), 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 13 

against any one part of it with equal facility. This renders 
our situation not very agreeable, though necessary. How- 
ever, by incessant labor (Sundays not excepted), we are in 
a much better posture of defence now, than when I first 
came." — Washington to John Augustine Washington. 

" It would be far beyond the compass of a letter, for me to describe the 
situation of things here on my arrival. Perhaps you will only be able to 
judge of it from my assuring you, that mine must be a portrait at full 
length of what you have had a miniature. Confusion and discord reigned 
in every department, which, in a little time, must have ended either in the 
separation of the army, or fatal contests with one another. The better 
genius of America has prevailed, and most happily the ministerial troops 
have not availed themselves of their advantages, till I trust the opportunity 
is in a great measure past over." — Washington to General Schuyler, July 28. 

PKIDAY, JULY 28. 

At Cambridge : " Our enemy continues strongly posted 
about a mile from us, both at Bunker's Hill and Roxbury, 
but we are not able to get any information of their future 
intentions. Part of the riflemen are come in, and the rest 
daily expected." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

The Continental Congress resolved, on the 14th of June, that six com- 
panies of expert riflemen should be raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland 
and two in Virginia. On the 22d it was again resolved that two more com- 
panies should be raised in Pennsylvania, and that the eight together should 
make a battalion. The twelve companies were all filled with surprising 
celerity. One company arrived in Cambridge on the 25th of July, and eight 
others before the 14th of August, so that within two months after orders 
had gone out, the men had been enlisted and equipped, and the whole had 
marched from four to six hundred miles to camp. Captain Daniel Mor- 
gan, so much celebrated during the war, commanded one of these companies. 
He marched his men from Frederick County, in Virginia, nearly six hun- 
dred miles, in three weeks. These riflemen were enlisted for one year, and 
were the first troops ordered to be raised by the Continental Congress. The 
Pennsylvania battalion was commanded by Colonel "William Thompson. 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3. 

At Cambridge : A council of war held to take into con- 
sideration the discovery of the alarming fact, that the whole 



14 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

stock of powder in camp, was only nine thousand nine 
hundred and thirty-seven pounds. 

" August 5, 1775. — We had a general council the day before yesterday, 
and, to our great surprise,} discovered that we had not powder enough to 
furnish half a pound a mkn, exclusive of what the people have in their 
horns and cartridge-boxes. The General -^Washington] was so struck that 
he did not utter a word for half an hourT^ Every one else was also aston- 
ished." — Sullivan to the New Hampshire Committee of Safety. 

FEIDAY, AUGUST 4. 

At Cambridge : " I am now, in strict confidence, to ac- 
quaint you, that our necessities in the article of powder and 
lead are so great, as to require an immediate supply. I 
must earnestly entreat, that you will fall upon some measure 
to forward every pound of each in your colony, that can 
possibly be spared. . . ]!^o quantity, however small, is be- 
neath notice, and, should any arrive, I beg it may be for- 
warded as soon as possible." — Washington to Governor Cooke, 
of Rhode Island. 

" When our Army lay before Boston in 1775, our Powder was so nearly 
expended, that General Washington told me that he had not more than 
Eight rounds a Man, altho' he had then near 14 miles of Line to guard, and 
that he dare not fire an Evening or Morning Gun. In this situation one of 
the Committee of Safety for Massachusetts, who was privy to the whole 
secret, deserted and went over to General Gage, and discovered our poverty 
to him. The fact was so incredible, that Gen' Gage treated it as a stratagem 
of war, and the informant as a Spy, or coming with the express purpose of 
deceiving him & drawing his Army into a Snare, by which means we were 
saved from having our Quarters beaten up. I was the Chairman of the 
Committee of Safety at Elizabeth Town [New Jersey], and had about Six 
or Seven quarter Casks of Powder, which on urgent application from Gen. 
Washington, were sent to Boston, with what could be spared from New 
York." — MS. of Elias Boudinot. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8. 

At Cambridge : " I was yesterday [August 8] at Cam- 
bridge. Generals 'Washington and Lee inquired after you. 
I dined at General Ws." — Henry Knox to Mrs. Knox, 
August 9. 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 15 

" Camhridge, August 9, 1775. — We waited on General "Washington, -who 
I have the pleasure to inform yovi is much beloved and admired for his polite 
condescention and noble deportment. His appointment to the Chief Com- 
mand has the general suffrage of all ranks of people here, which I think 
is no bad omen." — Letter from a Philadelphian, Pennsylvania Gazette, 
August 23. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15. 

At Cambridge : " I am glad to relieve you from your 
anxiety respecting troops being sent from Boston to Quebec. 
These reports, I apprehend, took their rise from a fleet 
being fitted out about fourteen days ago to plunder the 
islands in the Sound of their live stock; an expedition, 
which they have executed with some success, and are just 
returning. . . To-morrow I expect a supply of powder from 
Philadelphia,* which will be a most seasonable relief in our 
present necessity." — Washington to General Sclmyler. 

In consequence of the resolve of Congress (June 27), General Schuyler 
was at this time making preparations to advance into Canada from Ticon- 
deroga, and take possession of Fort St. Johns and Montreal. But falling 
seriously ill, on the 15th of September, when on the point of investing St. 
Johns, he was forced to transfer the command to General Eichard Mont- 
gomery, and return to Albany. He, however, continued his exertions in 
raising troops, and forwarding supplies to the army. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20. 

At Cambridge : " The design of this express is to com- 
municate to you a plan of an expedition, which has engaged 
my thoughts for several days. It is to penetrate into Canada, 
by way of Kennebec River, and so to Quebec by a route 
ninety miles below Montreal. I can very well spare a de- 
tachment for this purpose of one thousand, or twelve hun- 
dred men, and the land-carriage by the route proposed is 
too inconsiderable to make an objection." — Washington to 
General Schuyler. 

The detachment io penetrate into Canada was placed under the command 

* " August 17th. — Six or seven tons of powder arrived from the south- 
ward." — Heath's Memoirs. 




16 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

of Colonel Benedict Arnold, with instructions (September 14) to use all 
possible expedition, as the winter season was advancing. It was composed 
of ten companies of musketeers from New England and three companies of 
riflemen from Virginia and Pennsylvania, in all eleven hundred men, the 
riflemen being commanded by Captain Daniel Morgan. On the morning of 
November 14, the little army, which, in consequence of the frightful suffer- 
ings of the men, had dwindled to seven hundred and fifty (two hundred 
under Colonel Enos having returned to avoid starvation), climbed the heights 
of Abraham; Arnold, however, finding it utterly impossible to attack the 
city, retreated to Point aux Trembles, twenty miles above Quebec, to await 
the approach of the troops under General Montgomery, who, after capturing 
Forts Chambly and St. Johns, had taken possession of Montreal, November 
13. The junction was made December 1, and the combined forces, amount- 
ing only to nine hundred men, arrived in sight of Quebec on the 5th. In 
the unsuccessful assault of December 31, in which General Montgomery was 
slain, Arnold received a wound in the leg. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29. 

At Cambridge : " We have only 184 Barls. of powder in 
all (including the late supply from Philadelphia), wch is not 
sufficient to give 25 muskets cartridges to each man, and 
scarcely to serve the artillery in any brisk action one single 
day." — Washington to Hichard Henry Lee. 

" The word Powder in a letter, sets us all a tiptoe, we have been in a 
terrible situation, occasioned by a mistake in a return ; we reckoned upon 
three hundred quarter casks and had but thirty-two barrels — not above nine 
cartridges to a man to the whole army, but the late supply from Philadel- 
phia has relieved us. All our heavy artillery was useless, and even now we 
are compelled to a very severe economy." — Joseph Reed to Mr. Bradford, 
August 24. 

THUKSDAY, AUGUST 81. 

At Cambridge : " Last Saturday night [August 26] we 
took possession of a hill [Plowed Hill, Mount Benedict], 
considerably advanced beyond our former lines; which 
brought on a very heavy cannonade from Bunker's Hill, 
and afterwards a bombardment, which has been since kept 
up with little spirit on their part, or damage on ours." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

" August 26th. — The Americans broke ground on Plowed Hill, in front 
of Bunker's Hill, without molestation." — Heath's Memoirs. 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 17 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. 

At Cambridge ; A council of war, held to consider whether 
it was expedient to make an attack upon the troops at Bos- 
ton by means of boats, in co-operation with an attempt upon 
their lines at Eoxbury. It was unanimously agreed, that 
" it was not expedient to make the attempt at present, at 
least." 

In communicating this decision to Congress, Washington wrote: "I 
cannot say that I have wholly laid it [the attack] aside ; but new events 
may occasion new measures. Of this I hope the honorable Congress can 
need no assurance, that there is not a man in America, who more earnestly 
wishes such a termination of the campaign, as to make the army no longer 
necessary." 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. 

At Cambridge: '^ Sej). 18. To the Exps of myself and 
Party in reconnoitring the South & "West Shore of Boston 
Harbor. . £16. 6. 4." — Washington's Accounts. 

" Oct. 2. — To Expens. at Mystick. . £2. 6. 4." — Washington's Accounts. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3. 

At Cambridge : A council of war, held on this and the 
following day, to consider the treachery of Dr. Benjamin 
Church, director-general of the hospital. 

Dr. Benjamin Church, who had been a prominent patriot, was discovered 
in an attempt to hold a correspondence with the enemy. The matter, after 
being considered in council, was referred to Congress, who, on November 6, 
directed that he should be closely confined in a jail in Connecticut. He was 
imprisoned at Norwich, but was released in May, 1776, on account of de- 
clining health, and afterwards obtained permission from the Provincial 
Congress of Massachusetts, in whose charge he was, to visit the West 
Indies ; the vessel in which he sailed was never heard of. Dr. Church was 
the first traitor to the Revolutionary cause. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4. 

At Cambridge : " General Gage is recalled from Boston, 

2 



18 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

and sails to-inorrow; he is succeeded by General Howe. 
"We have had no material occurrences since I had the 
pleasure of writing to you last. Our principal employment 
now is preparing for winter, as there seems to be no proba- 
bility of an accommodation, or any such decision as to make 
the present army less necessary." — WasJmigton to General 
Schuyler. 

General Gage sailed for England on October 10; he did not return to 
America. 

THUESDAY, OCTOBEK 5. 

At Cambridge : " The enemy in Boston and on the 
heights at Charlestown (two peninsulas surrounded in a 
manner by ships of war and floating batteries) are so strongly 
fortified as to render it almost impossible to force their lines, 
which are thrown up at the head of each neck ; without 
great slaughter on our side, or cowardice on theirs, it is 
absolutely so. "We therefore can do no more, than keep 
them besieged, which they are, to all intents and purposes, 
as close as any troops on earth can be, that have an opening 
to the sea." — Washington to Robert Carter Nicholas. 

" Oct. 6. — To Expens. of myself & Party visitg the shores about Chelsea. 
. £8. 6. 6." — Washington's Accounts. 

PRIDAY, OCTOBEE 13. 

At Cambridge : " Since finishing our lines of defence, we, 
as well as the enemy, have been busily employed in putting 
our men under proper cover for the winter. Our advanced 
works, and theirs, are within musket-shot of each other. 
"We are obliged to submit to an almost daily cannonade 
without returning a shot, from our scarcity of powder, 
which we are necessitated to keep for closer work than 
cannon-distance, whenever the red-coat gentry please to 
step out of their intrenchments." — Washington to John Au- 
gustine Washington. 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 19 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBEE 18. 

At Cambridge ; A council of war held to consider an in- 
timation from Congress, that an attack upon Boston, if 
practicable, was much desired. It was decided to be im- 
practicable. 

MONDAY, OCTOBEE 23. 

At Cambridge : In conference, on this and the following 
day, with a committee of Congress, Benjamin Franklin, 
Thomas Lynch, and Benjamin Harrison. 

The committee of Congress, appointed to consult with other committees, in 
relation to a new organization of the army, arrived at Cambridge October 
15. Connecticut, Ehode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were 
represented in the conference, which continued several days (from the 18th 
to the 22d), and embraced all the points of the proposed new army. The 
conference with Washington on the 23d and 24th was on sundry matters 
upon which no order had been made by Congress. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBEE 24. 

At Cambridge : " My conjecture of the destination of the 
late squadron from Boston, in my last, has been unhappily 
verified by an outrage, exceeding in barbarity and cruelty 
every hostile act practised among civilized nations. I have 
enclosed the account given me by Mr. [Pearson] Jones, a 
gentleman of the town of Falmouth, of the destruction of 
that increasing and flourishing village." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

British cruisers kept the New England coast, from Falmouth to New 
London, in a state of continual alarm. Lieutenant Mowatt, commander of 
a British brig, made a descent upon Gloucester, Mass., August 9, and at- 
tempted to land. He was repulsed, after he had thrown several bombs into 
the town with serious effect. On September 30, Stonington, Connecticut, 
was bombarded ; two men were killed, and the houses were much shattered. 
In October, Mowatt was sent to Falmouth (now Portland), Maine. On the 
refusal of the inhabitants to give up their arms, and after allowing two 
hours for the removal of the women and children, he bombarded the town 
on the 18th. One hundred and thirty-nine houses, and two hundred and 
seventy-eight stores and other buildings were destroyed ; but the courageous 
inhabitants maintained their ground, and defeated his attempt to land. 



20 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

THUKSDAY, OCTOBER 26. 

At Cambridge : " Colonel Allen's misfortune will, I hope, 
teach a lesson of prudence and subordination to others, who 
may be too ambitious to outshine their general officers, and 
regardless of order and duty, rush into enterprises, which 
have unfavorable effects on the public, and are destructive 
to themselves." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

Ethan Allen, having been sent with an escort of thirty men to heat up 
recruits among the Canadians, crossed the St. Lawrence, without the con- 
sent or knowledge of General Montgomery, on the night of the 24th of 
September, to attack Montreal. He was defeated, taken prisoner, and put in 
irons by General Prescott, the commandant, and sent to Quebec, and after- 
wards to England ; from thence he was sent to Halifax, and later to New 
York, where. May 6, 1778, he was exchanged for Colonel Campbell. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29. 

At Cambridge : " Your favor of the 25th instant came 
safely to hand. Captain "Whipple's voyage has been un- 
fortunate, but it is not in our power to command success, 
though it is always our duty to deserve it." — Washington to 
Governor Cooke, of Rhode Island. 

Captain Abraham "Whipple, having been ordered by Governor Cooke, at 
the suggestion of Washington (letter of August 4), to proceed to Bermuda 
for the purpose of securing a considerable magazine of powder on that 
island, set sail from Providence in an armed vessel fitted out by Rhode 
Island. He put in at the west end of the island, but, finding that the powder, 
amounting to one hundred barrels, had been removed by a vessel supposed 
to be from Philadelphia, and another from South Carolina, returned to 
Providence. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5. 

At Cambridge . " Finding the minsterial troops resolved 
to keep themselves close within their lines, and that it was 
judged impracticable to get at them, I have fitted out six 
armed vessels, with the design to pick up some of their 
store-ships and transports. The rest of our men are busily 
employed in erecting barracks." — Washington to General 
Schuyler. 




1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 21 

Quite early in the struggle the necessity of armed vessels to cut off the 
enemy's supplies became apparent. The Ehode Island Assembly (June 
12) authorized two vessels to be fitted out, one of eighty men, under Abra- 
ham Whipple, the other of thirty men, under Christopher Whipple. Con- 
necticut authorized (July 1) two armed vessels to be fitted out, and so im- 
portant was it to distress the British, that Washington, under his general 
authority, ordered vessels to be equipped. The first captain he commissioned 
was Nicholas Broughton, of Marblehead, whose instructions " to take the 
command of a detachment of said army, and proceed on board the Schooner 
Hannah, at Beverly," are dated September 2, 1775. Under directions from 
Congress, October 5, every effort was made to fit out the six schooners re- 
ferred to by Washington, but they were not all ready for sea until the last 
of the month. On the 29th the Lynch, commanded by Captain Broughton, 
and the Franklin, by Captain Selman, had sailed for the St. Lawrence ; the 
Lee, by Captain Manly, sailed the same day on a cruise ; the Warren, by 
Captain Adams, and the Washington, by Captain Martindale, were to sail 
on the 30th ; the Harrison, by Captain Coit, was on a cruise. Some of the 
vessels were unfortunate. Captain Martindale was captured, and, with his 
crew, was carried to England. Others, however, were highly successful. 



SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18. 

At Roxbury : In conference with Generals Ward, Thomas, 
and Spencer, and Colonel Rufus Putnam. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27. 

At Cambridge :- " Your favor of the 13th, came to this 
place on Wednesday evening [ISTovember 22] ; part of which, 
that is, the night, I was engaged with a party of men throw- 
ing up a work upon a hill called Cobble Hill, which, in case 
we should ever be supplied with such things as we want, 
may prove useful to us, and could not be delayed, as the 
earth here is getting as hard as a rock." — Washington to 
Richard Henry Lee. 

" November 22d. — A strong detachment from the army, under the com- 
mand of Maj. Gen. Putnam, broke ground on Cobble Hill, without annoy- 
ance. The fatigue-men worked until near break of day, when the whole 
came off. . 23d. — At night, our General [Heath], with a detachment of 
similar strength to that of the preceding night were ordered to Cobble Hill, 
to complete the works." — Heath's Memoirs. 



22 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

SATUKDAY, DECEMBEE 2. 

At Cambridge : " I have the pleasure to inform you, that 
one of our armed vessels, the Lee, Captain Manly, took 
and brought in the other day [November 30] a valuable 
store-ship bound to Boston." — Washington to Jonathan Trum- 
hvU. 

" November 30th. — Intelligence was received from Cape- Ann, that a vessel 
from England, laden with warlike stores, had been taken and brought into 
that place. There was on board one 13 inch brass mortar, 2,000 stand of 
arms, 100,000 flints, 32 tons of leaden balls, &c. &c. A fortunate capture 
for the Americans 1" — Heath's Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3. 

At Cambridge : Attends service at the Rev. Dr. Apple- 
ton's Church; discourse by Abiel Leonard, chaplain to 
General Putnam's command. 

This was the " Old Congregational Church," which Washington attended 
while in Cambridge, the minister being the venerable Nathaniel Appleton. 
The building was taken down in 1833, and the land sold to the corporation 
of Harvard College. It stood near the spot where Dane Hall now stands. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4. 

At Cambridge : " The great want of powder is what the 
attention of Congress should be particularly applied to. I 
dare not attempt anything offensive, let the temptation or 
advantage be ever so great, as I have not more of that most 
essential article, than will be absolutely necessary to defend 
our lines, should the enemy attempt to attack them." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11. 

At Cambridge : Mrs. "Washington arrives at Cambridge, 
accompanied by her son, John Parke Custis, and his wife. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18. 

At Cambridge : " We now work at our ease on Lechmere's 
Hill. On discovering our party there yesterday morning, 



1775] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 23 

the ship which lay opposite began a cannonade, to which 
Mount Horam [west side of Boston] added some shells. 
One of our men was wounded. We fired a few shot from 
two eighteen pounders, which are placed on Cobble Hill, 
and soon obliged the ship to shift her station." — Washing- 
ton to the President of Congress. 

*' December 12th. — A causeway was begun over the marsh, to Leechmore's 
Point. Two 18 pounders were brought from Koxbury, and mounted at 
Cobble Hill. . 14th, 15th, and 16th. — Approaches were carried briskly on to 
Leechmore's Point, and nearly to the top of the hill. . 17th. — A detachment 
of 300 men, under the direction of Gen. Putnam, broke ground on the top 
of the hill, on Leechmore's Point. . 18th.— Our General [Heath] was 
ordered, with 300 men, to prosecute the work begun on Leechmore's Point. 
. In the afternoon. Gen. Washington and several other General Officers 
came on to the Point. . 19th. — The prosecution of the works on Leechmore's 
Point was continued." — Heath's Memoirs. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25. 

At Cambridge : " We have made good progress in the 
works on Lechmere's Point. They would have been finished 
ere this, but for the severity of the weather, which prevents 
our people from working." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBEPv 81. 

At Cambridge : " General Lee is just returned from his 
excursion to Rhode Island. He has pointed out the best 
method the island would admit of for its defence. He has 
endeavoured all in his power to make friends of those that 
were our enemies." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

General Lee's excursion to Rhode Island was made at the instance ot 
Governor Cooke, who had written to "Washington, requesting military aid 
and the services of an efficient officer to put the island in a state of defence. 
Having laid out works, and given directions for fortifications, besides arrest- 
ing some Tory citizens, he returned to camp after an absence of ten days. 
Early in January, 1776, in consequence of the fitting out of a fleet at Boston, 
under Sir Henry Clinton, for a southern expedition, Lee proceeded to New 
York, and did good service in beginning the fortifications needed for the 
city and neighboring strategic points. 



24 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1775 

On the 27th of February, 1776, Congress formed what were called the. 
middle and southern military departments ; the former consisting of New 
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland ; and the latter 
of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. General Lee 
was directed, March 1, to take command of the southern department, and 
in compliance with that order left New York on the 7th. Lee did not re- 
join the main army until October 14, when he took command of the right 
wing, having, by the resignation of General Ward, become senior major- 



1776. 



MONDAY, JANUARY 1. 

At Cambridge : Orderly Book. — " This day giving com- 
mencement to the new army, which in every point of view 
is entirely Continental, the General flatters himself that a 
laudable spirit of emulation will now take place, and per- 
vade the whole of it." 

The appointment of "Washington as Commander-in-Chief of all the Amer- 
ican forces, and the adoption by Congress of the army which had gathered 
before Boston, immediately after the battle of Concord and Lexington, gave 
that army more of a military status than it had possessed as commanded by 
provincial officers ; yet the enlistments were short, and it soon became neces- 
sary, from that and other causes, to reorganize the whole body. The new 
army referred to in the order was enlisted for a year's service from January 
1, 1776, under a plan agreed upon by Washington and a committee of Con- 
gress, and, while the army it replaced had to a certain extent possessed some- 
thing of a national character, yet the new army may certainly be classed as 
the first Continental army, raised for the cause of independence. On this 
day, also, the Union flag, composed of thirteen alternate red and white 
stripes, with the British union (the combined crosses of St. George and St. 
Andrew) in the upper corner, was displayed for the first time. 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4. 

At Cambridge : " It is not in the pages of history, per- 
haps, to furnish a case like ours. To maintain a post within 
musket-shot of the enemy, for six months together, without 
[powder], and at the same time to disband one army, and 
recruit another, within that distance of twenty odd British 
regiments, is more, probably, than was ever attempted." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14. 

At Cambridge : " The reflection on my situation, and that 
of this army, produces many an uneasy hour when all around 

25 



26 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

me are wrapped in sleep. Few people know the predicament 
we are in, on a thousand accounts ; fewer still will believe, 
if any disaster happens to these lines, from what cause it 
flows. I have often thought how much happier I should 
have been, if, instead of accepting the command under such 
circumstances, I had taken my musket on my shoulder and 
entered the ranks, or, if I could have justified the measure 
to posterity and my own conscience, had retired to the back 
country, and lived in a wigwam." — Washington to Joseph 
JReed. 

TUESDAY, JANUAET 16. 

At Cambridge : A council of war, in which it was agreed 
that an attempt ought to be made to conquer the ministerial 
troops in Boston, but that the force was inadequate. The 
council, therefore, advised the Commander-in-Chief to re- 
quest of the neighboring colonies thirteen regiments of 
militia, to serve till the first of April. 

On tbe 18th, another council of war was held to consider the letters re- 
ceived the evening before from Canada, conveying intelligence of the death 
of General Montgomery and the disaster at Quebec. When the question 
was put, it was resolved to be inexpedient, in the present weakened state of 
the lines, to send a detachment from the main army to Canada ; but the 
General was advised to request Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hamp- 
shire to raise three regiments with all possible despatch for the Canada ex- 
pedition, and that these regiments should be considered as part of the thirteen 
already required. John Adams as a member of the Continental Congress, 
and being then in Watertown, assisted at both of the above councils, by the 
special invitation of the Commander-in-Chief. 

THUKSDAY, JANUAKY 18. 

At Cambridge • " January 18th. — Col. Knox, of the artil- 
lery, came to camp. He brought from Ticonderoga a fine 
train of artillery, which had been taken from the British, 
both cannon and mortars, and which were ordered to be 
stopped at Framingham." — Heath's Memoirs. 

Under instructions of 16th November, 1775, Henry Knox left Cambridge, 
to procure, as speedily as possible, from New York, Ticonderoga, Crown 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 27 

Point, or St. Johns, all the cannon, mortars, shells, lead, and ammunition 
that could be ol)tained. He reached New York on the 25th, Albany on 
December 1, and Ticonderoga on the 5th. On the 9th he started homeward 
with his important charge, which consisted of fifty-five pieces of iron and 
brass ordnance, one barrel of flints, and twenty-three boxes (two thousand 
three hundred pounds) of lead. In alluding to the difficulties and dangers 
of this undertaking and its success, his biographer, Francis S. Drake, says : 
" This achievement stamped the character of Knox for boldness, enterprise, 
fertility of resource and genius, supplied the means for fortifying Dorchester 
Heights, and vindicated the judgment of Washington in selecting him for 
the important and responsible duties of the artillery and ordnance depart- 
ments." 

WEDNESDAY, JANUAEY 24. 

At Cambridge: '■'■January 24. — Dined at C.[olonel] Mif- 
flin's, at Cambridge, with G. Washington and Gates and 
their ladies, and half a dozen sachems and warriors of the 
French Caghnawaga tribe, with their wives and children. 
. . The General introduced me to them as one of the grand 
council fire at Philadelphia, upon which they made me 
many bows and a cordial reception." — Diary of John Adams. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31. 

At Cambridge : " I hope my countrymen of Virginia will 
rise superior to any losses the whole navy of Great Britain 
can bring on them, and that the destruction of JSTorfolk, and 
the attempted devastation of other places, will have no other 
effect, than to unite the whole country in one indissoluble 
bond. A few more of such flaming arguments, as were 
exhibited at Falmouth and Norfolk, added to the sound 
doctrine and unanswerable reasoning contained in the pam- 
phlet ' Common Sense,'* will not leave numbers at a loss to 
decide upon the propriety of a separation." — Washington to 
Joseph Reed. 

* The celebrated pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, and published at 
Philadelphia in the early part of January, 1776. This powerful production, 
advocating an*absolute separation from the mother country, inspired the 
people with a desire for independence, and united them in its support, more 
than anything else. 



28 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, who, after his repulse by the 
militia at the Great Bridge, on Elizabeth Kiver, December 9, 1775, had 
abandoned Norfolk, and taken refuge on the fleet, gave notice, December 
31, that he should cannonade the town. The cannonade was opened at four 
o'clock the next morning, and marines and sailors were sent on shore to set 
fire to the city. The conflagration raged about fifty hours, during which 
the cannonade was kept up, and a greater portion of the most compact part 
of the town was laid in ashes. 

FKIDAT, FEBKUAEY 9. 

At Cambridge : " I have tried every method I could think 
of, to procure arms for the men. They really are not to be 
had in these governments, belonging to the public, and if 
some method is not fallen upon, in the southern govern- 
ments, to supply us, we shall be in a distressed situation for 
want of them. There are near 2000 men now in camp 
without firelocks."— Washingtoyi to the President of Congress. 

SATUKDAY, FEBKUAEY 10, 

At Cambridge : " We have had the most laborious piece 
of work at Lechmere's Point, on account of the frost, that 
ever you saw. "We hope to get it finished on Sunday. It 
is within as commanding a distance of Boston as Dorchester 
Hill, though of a diflerent ^&xt:'— Washingtoyi to Josejph 
JReed. 

The return of February 10th showed a force of 8797 men fit for duty, 
besides officers and 1405 men on command who might be ordered to join 
their respective regiments immediately. The militia from the New England 
governments, arrived or about to arrive in camp, would, if the regiments 
were complete, number 7280, officers included. The intelligence from Boston 
indicated an active force of only 5000. 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16. 

At Cambridge: A council of war, in which the Com- 
mander-in-Chief advanced what he deemed strong reasons 
for making an immediate assault on the town of Boston, by 
proceeding from Cambridge and Eoxbury over the ice. 
This opinion was overruled by the council, on the grounds 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 29 

that there was not force enough for such an attempt, and 
that the army was deficient in arms and powder. 

This council was held in pursuance of a resolution of Congress of December 
22: " That if General Washington and his council of war should be of the 
opinion, that a successful attack may be made on the troops in Boston, he 
do it in any manner he may think expedient, notwithstanding the town and 
property in it may thereby be destroyed." 

The adverse decision was a great disappointment to "Washington, who was 
not only ready, but willing and desirous of making the assault. In report- 
ing to Congress the conclusion of the council he said: "I have many dis- 
agreeable sensations on account of my situation ; for, to have the eyes of the 
whole continent fixed with anxious expectation of hearing of some great 
event, and to be restrained in every military operation, for want of the 
necessary means of carrying it on, is not very pleasing, especially as the 
means, used to conceal my weakness from the enemy conceal it also from our 
friends, and add to their wonder." 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25. 

At Cambridge : " February 25th. — Some heavy cannon 
were mounted on the works at Leechmore's Point." — 

Heath's Memoirs. 

" We have, under many difficulties on account of hard frozen ground, 
completed our work on Lechmere's Point. We have got some heavy pieces 
of ordnance placed there, two platforms fixed for mortars, and everything 
ready for any offensive operation. Strong guards are now mounted there, 
and at Cobble Hill." — Washington to Joseph Reed, February 26. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26. 

At Cambridge : A council of war, in which it was decided 
to take possession of Dorchester Heights on the night of 
the 4th of March, that being the eve of the anniversary of 
the " Boston Massacre." 

" All ofl^cers, non-commissioned Officers, and Soldiers, are positively forbid 
playing at cards and other games of chance. At this time of public distress 
men may find enough to do in the service of their God and their Country, 
without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality." — Orderly Book, 
February 26. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27. 

At Cambridge: Orderly Book. — "As the season is now 



30 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

fast approaching when every man must expect to be drawn 
into the fiekl of action, it is highly necessary that he should 
prepare his mind, as well as everything necessary for it. It 
is a noble Cause we are engaged in, it is the cause of virtue 
and mankind, every temporal advantage and comfort to us, 
and our posterity depends upon the Vigor of our exertions ; 
in short, Freedom or Slavery must be the result of our con- 
duct, there can therefore be no greater Inducement to men 
to behave well." 

SATUKDAY, MAECH 2. 

At Cambridge : " March 2d. — At night, a cannonade and 
bombardment began at the American works, on Cobble 
Hill and Leechmore's Point on the Cambridge side, and at 
Lamb's Dam on the Roxbury side, against the British 
works; and a number of shells were thrown into Boston." 
— Heath's Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 3. 

At Cambridge : " I hope in a few nights to be in readiness 
to take post on Dorchester Point, as we are using every 
means in our power to provide materials for this purpose ; 
the ground being so hard froze yet, that we cannot intrench, 
and therefore are obliged to depend entirely upon chande- 
liers, fascines, and screwed hay for our redoubts. It is ex- 
pected that this work will bring on an action between the 
king's troops and ours." — Washington to Joseph Reed. 

" As it is not unlikely but a contest may soon be brought on, between the 
ministerial Troops, and this Army: The General flatters himself that every 
Officer, and Soldier, will endeavour to give, such distinguish 'd proofs of his 
conduct, and good behaviour, as becomes men, fighting for everything that 
is dear, and valuable to Freemen ; remembering at the same time what 
disgraceful punishment will attend a contrary behaviour." — Orderly Book, 
March 3. 

MONDAY, MARCH 4. 

At Cambridge : " March 4th. — There was an almost in- 
cessant roar of cannon and mortars during the night, on 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 31 

both sides. The Americans took possession of Dorcliester 
heights, and nearly completed their works on both the hills 
by morning. Perhaps there never was so much work done 
in so short a space of time." — Heath's Memoirs. 

"On the 26th ultimo I had the honor of addressing you, and then 
mentioned that we were making preparations for taking possession of Dor- 
chester Heights. I now heg leave to inform you, that a council of general 
officers having determined a previous bombardment and cannonade expedient 
and proper, in order to harass the enemy and divert their attention from that 
quarter, on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights last, we carried them on 
from our posts at Cobble Hill, Lechmere's Point, and Lamb's Dam. . . Our 
taking possession of Dorchester Heights* is only preparatory to taking post 
on Nook's Hill, and the points opposite to the south end of Boston." — 
Washington to the President of Congress, March 7. 

TUESDAY, MAECH 5. 

At Dorchester Heights : Awaiting an attack from General 
Howe. "His Excellency General "Washington is present, 
animating and encouraging the soldiers, and they in return 
manifest their joy and express a warm desire for the ap- 
proach of the enemy." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

" March 5th. — The British, it was expected, would attempt to dislodge 
the Americans from Dorchester heights. Signals had been prepared at Kox- 
bury meeting-house to mark the moment. The detachment at Cambridge 
(designed to push into Boston in the boats) was paraded, not far from [Port] 
No. 2, where it remained a good part of the day. But kind Heaven, which 
more than once saved the Americans when they would have destroyed them- 
selves, did not allow the signals to be made. About 3500 of the British 
troops, it was said, had been sent down to the Castle [William], with the 
intent to have made an attack on the Americans ; but about midnight, the 
wind blew almost a hurricane from the south ; many windows were forced 
in, sheds and fences blown down, and some vessels drove on shore ; and no 
attempt was made on the works." — Heath'' s Memoirs. 

SATUEDAY, MAECH 9. 

At Cambridge : " Prom a gentleman out of Boston, con- 
firmed by a paper from the selectmen there, we have un- 

* " March 4. — To Exp' of myself and Party recong. Dorchester Heights 
previous to our possessing them. . £10.10." — Washington's Accounts. 



32 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

doubted information of General Howe's preparing with great 
precipitancy to embark his troops ; for what place we know 
not; Halifax it is said." — Washington to Joseph Reed. 

" To-night I shall have a battery thrown up on Nooks Hill, with a design 
of acting as circumstances may require." — Washingtoii to the President of 
Congress^ March 9. 

WEDNESDAY, MAECH 13. 

At General Ward's Quarters, Eoxbury : A council of war, 
in which it was determined, that if Boston was not evacu- 
ated the next day it would be advisable, at all events, to 
fortify IsTook's Hill the next night. 

Nook's Hill, Dorchester Point, completely commanded Boston, and on 
Saturday, March 16, a strong detachment was sent to fortify it. The British 
discovered it, and cannonaded it during the night. The Americans did not 
return the fire, but maintained their ground. General Howe then resolved to 
evacuate the town without further delay, and very early in the morning of the 
17th (two o'clock), commenced the embarkation of his army. About riine 
o'clock the garrison left Bunker Hill, and a large number of boats, filled 
with troops and inhabitants, put off from the wharves of Boston. 

SUNDAY, MAKCH 17. 

At Cambridge : " I have the pleasure to inform you, that 
this morning the ministerial troops evacuated the town of 
Boston without destroying it, and that we are now in full 
possession." — Washington to Governor Cooke. 

" Cambridge, March 21. — Last Sabbath [March 17] a few hours after the 
enemy retreated from Boston, the Eev. Mr. Leonard [chaplain to General 
Putnam's command] preached an excellent sermon, in the audience of 
his Excellency the General [Washington], and others of distinction, well 
adapted to the interesting event of the day, from Exod. XIV. 25. ' And 
took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the 
Egyptians said. Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for 
them against the Egyptians.' " — Pennsylvania Evening Post, March 30, 
1776. 

MONDAY, MAKCH 18. 

In Boston : Dines with James Bowdoin at the house of 
Mr. Ervino;. 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 33 

TUESDAY, MAKCH 19. 

At Cambridge : " The town, although it has suffered 
greatly, is not in so bad a state as I expected to find it ; and 
I have a particular pleasure in being able to inform you, Sir, 
that your house has received no damage worth mentioning. 
Your furniture is in tolerable order, and the family pictures 
are all left entire and untouched." — Washington to John 
Hancock. 

WEDNESDAY, MAKCH 20. 

In Boston : The Commander-in-Chief enters the city with 
the main body of the army. 

" Whitcomb's, Phinney's and Hutchinson's Kegiments are to march into 
Boston this day, and remain there until further orders, they are to guard the 
Town and public stores there, and do all such fatigue and other duties, as the 
General commanding there, thinks proper to order — Every possible precaution 
will be taken to destroy the Infection of the small-pox. The Troops now in 
Boston [under General Putnam] are to march out, and join their respective 
Kegiments, upon being relieved by the Kegiments that are to march in." — 
Orderly Book, March 20. 

THUKSDAY, MARCH 21. 

At Cambridge : Issues a proclamation for the preservation 
of peace, good order, and discipline, and enjoining " All 
officers of the Continental army to assist the civil magis- 
trates in the execution of their duty, and to promote peace 
and good order." 

SUNDAY, MARCH 24. 

At Cambridge : " The fleet is still in Nantasket Road. . . 
On "Wednesday night last [the 20th], before the whole of 
the fleet fell down to Kantasket, they demolished the Castle 
[William], and houses belonging to it, by burning them 
down, and the several fortifications. They left a great 
number of the cannon, but have rendered all of them, 
except a very few, entirely useless, by breaking off the 
trunions. Those few they spiked up; but they may be 

4 



34 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

made serviceable again; some are already done." — Washing- 
ton to the President of Congress. 

WEDNESDAY, MAKCH 27. 

At Cambridge : " I have just received intelligence that 
the whole of the ministerial fleet, besides three or four ships, 
got under w&y this evening at iN'antasket Road, and were 
standing out for sea." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

On the day following the evacuation of Boston by the British, Washing- 
ton, supposing that the next attempt would he against New York, ordered 
the whole body of riflemen and six regiments of the army under General 
Heath, to march for that city. He now, on the final departure of the fleet, 
ordered the whole army to the south, with the exception of five regiments 
left for the protection of Boston, under General Ward. The British fleet, 
with about ten thousand troops and one thousand refugees, had, however, 
sailed for Halifax, and General Howe did not arrive at Sandy Hook until 
the 29th of June, On July 3 he landed nine thousand men on Staten 
Island, and there awaited the arrival of his brother. Admiral Howe, with 
English regulars and Hessian hirelings. 

THURSDAY, MAECH 28. 

In Boston : " Thursday [March 28] the Lecture, which 
was established, and has been observed from the first settle- 
ment of Boston, without interruption, until within* these 
few months past was opened by the Reverend Doctor Elliot. 
His Excellency General Washington, the other General 
Officers and their suites, having been pre\'iously invited, 
met in the Council Chamber, from whence, preceded by the 
Sherifi" with his Wand, attended by the Members of the 
Council who had had the small pox, the Committee of the 
House of Representatives, the Selectmen, the Clerg}-, and 
many other Gentlemen, they repaired to the old Brick 
Meeting House, where an excellent and well adapted dis- 
course was delivered from those words in the XXXHI. 
Chapter of Isaiah, and 20th verse. After divine service was 
ended his Excellency, attended and accompanied as before, 
returned to the Council Chamber, from whence they pro- 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 35 

ceeded to the Bunch of Grapes tavern, where an elegant 
dinner was provided at the public expence; after which 
many very proper and pertinent toasts were drank. Joy 
and gratitude sat on every countenance, and smiled in every 
eye." — Pennsylvania Evening Post, April 9, 1776. 

FRIDAY, MAECH 29. 

At Cambridge : Receives and answers an address from 
the General Assembly of Massachusetts. 

SUNDAY, MAECH 31. 

At Cambridge : " The enemy left all their works stand- 
ing in Boston and on Bunker's Hill ; and formidable they 
are. The town has shared a much better fate than was ex- 
pected, the damage done to the houses being nothing equal 
to report. But the inhabitants have suffered a good deal, 
in being plundered by the soldiery at their departure." — , 
Washington to John Augustine Washington. 

"To Exp' in visiting the several Islands in Boston Harbor — after the 
Evacuation of the Town by the Enemy. . £8.10." — Washingtoii'' s Accounts. 

MONDAY, APEIL 1. 

At Cambridge : " Your letter of the 15th ultimo contained 
a very unfavorable account of the Carolinas, but I am glad 
to find by the subsequent one of the 23d, that the prospect 
brightens, and that Mr. Martin's first attempt, (through 
those universal instruments of t3Tanny, the Scotch,) hath 
met with its deserved success." — Washington to Joseph Reed. 

Josiah Martin, Governor of North Carolina, having represented that a 
force of three or four thousand loyal men could be raised in the Carolinas, 
sent his agent, Alexander Maclean, into the back country, authorizing some 
of the inhabitants, chiefly Scotch, to form an " army" to be under the com- 
mand of Donald Macdonald. At the appointed time in February, a force 
far inferior in numbers to what had been promised, assembled at Cross 
Creek (now Fayetteville), and, marching towards Wilmington, was met and 
defeated with great loss on the 27th of February, at Moore's Creek, by a 
body of Carolinians under Colonel Eichard Caswell. 



36 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

WEDNESDAY, APKIL 3. 

At Cambridge : " The chief part of the troops are inarched 
from hence towards ISTew York. I will set off to-morrow." 
— Washington to General Arnold. 

By diploma of this date, April 3, 1776, Harvard College conferred on 
Washington, " who by the most signal smiles of Divine Providence on his 
military operations, drove the Fleet and Troops of the enemy with disgrace- 
ful precipitation from the town of Boston," the degree of Doctor of Laws. 

THUKSDAY, APEIL 4. 

At Cambridge : Eeceives and answers an address from 
the Selectmen of the town of Boston, and leaves for IsTew 
York. 

FEIDAY, APRIL 5. 

At Providence, Rhode Island : Meets Governor Mcholas 
Cooke and his Council, and is present in the evening at an 
entertainment given in his honor. 

MONDAY, APRIL 8. 

At Norwich, Connecticut : Meets Governor Trumbull by 
appointment at Jedediah Huntington's, where they dine to- 
gether. Leaves in the evening. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 9. 

At I^ew London, Connecticut : Meets Commodore Hop- 
kins, and sleeps at the house of Captain Nathaniel Shaw. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10. 

At Lyme, Connecticut : Spends the night at the house of 
John McCurdy, and reaches New Haven on the following 
day. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 13. 

At New York: "Last Saturday [April 13], His Excel- 
lency General Washington arrived at New York from Cam- 
bridge, attended by [William] Palfrey, Esq. his aid-de-camp, 
Horatio Gates, Esq. Adjutant General, and several other 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 37 

gentlemen of distinction." — Pennsylvania Evening Post, April 
16, 1776. 

"Washington's first head-quarters in New York were at a house in Pearl 
Street opposite Cedar, where he remained until summoned to visit Congress 
at Philadelphia, towards the end of May. On his return, June 6, he went 
to the Mortier House, later known as Richmond Hill, which stood on the 
spot since the southeast corner of Varick and Charlton Streets. Here he 
remained until the evacuation in September, when he moved to the " Eoger 
Morris House," Harlem Heights. 

SUNDAY, APKIL 14. 

At E'ew York : Orderly Book. — " The General compli- 
ments the Officers, who have successively commanded at 
this Post, and returns his Thanks to them, and to all the 
officers, and soldiers, under their Command for the many 
Works of Defence, which have been so expeditiously erected, 
and doubts not but the same Spirit of Zeal for the service 
will continue to animate their future conduct." 

MONDAY, APRIL 15. 

At New York : "I am now to inform you, that on the 
4th instant I set out from Cambridge, and arrived here on 
Saturday last. I came through Providence, Norwich and 
New London, in order to see and expedite the embarkation 
of the troops." — Washington to the Preside?ii of Congress. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17. 

At New York : Mrs. "Washington arrives at head-quarters. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 18. 

At New York : " The medal, intended to be presented to 
me by your honorable body, I shall carefully preserve as a 
memorial of their regard." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

On the 25th day of March, Congress in session passed the following reso- 
lution : *Jj That the thanks of this Congress, in their own name, and in the 
name of the Thirteen United Colonies, whom they represent, be presented 
to his Excellency General Washington, and the OflScers and Soldiers under 
his command, for their wise and spirited conduct in the siege and acquisition 



38 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

of Boston ; and that a Medal of gold be struck in commemoration of this 
great event, and presented to his Excellency." 

The dies for the medal, ordered in pursuance of the above quoted reso- 
lution, were executed at Paris in 1786. The impression in gold struck for 
presentation to Washington remained in his possession until his death ; it 
is now in the Boston Public Library, having been purchased in 1876 by 
subscription, and presented to the city. See Baker's " Medallic Portraits 
of Washington," page 27. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 25. 

At New York: ''April 25.— To the Exp= of myself & 
party recon^ the sev^ Landing places &c on Staten Island. . 
£16.10." — Washington's Accounts. 

MONDAY, APRIL 29. 

At Kew York : Issues a proclamation forbidding inter- 
course and correspondence with the ships of war and other 
vessels belonging to and in the service of the King of Great 
Britain. 

By the adjutant-general's return on the 28th of April, the number of 
troops present and fit for duty under General Washington's command was 
8101. Including those who were sick, absent on furlough, and on com- 
mand, the whole army at New York amounted to 10,235. 

FRIDAY, MAY 17. 

At ISTew York : Observed, by order of Congress, as a day 
of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. 

" May. . To Exp' of a tour on, and recons of Long Island. . £26.8.6." — 
Washington's Accounts. 

TUESDAY, MAY 21. 

At 'New York : " The Congress having been pleased to 
signify [resolution of May 16] a desire that I should repair 
to Philadelphia, in order to advise and consult with them 
on the present posture of aifairs, and as I am on the point 
of setting out accordingly, I have to desire that you will 
cause the different works now in agitation to be carried on 
with the utmost expedition." — Washington to General Put- 
nam. 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 39 

Washington left New York on May 21 and arrived at Philadelphia on 
the 23d, at two o'clock in the afternoon, stopping on the way at Amboy, 
New Jersey, to " view," as he wrote to General Schuyler, " the ground, and 
such places on Staten Island contiguous to it, as may be proper for works 
of defence." 

THURSDAY, MAY 23. 

At Philadelphia : " On Thursday last [May 23] arrived 
here [Philadelphia], his Excellency General Washington 
from New York." — Pennsylvania Journal, May 29, 1776. 

FEIDAY, MAY 24. 

At Philadelphia : " Agreeable to order, General Wash- 
ington attended in Congress, and, after some conference 
with him. Resolved, That he be directed to attend again to- 
morrow." — Journal of Congress, May 24. 

SATUEDAY, MAY 25. 

At Philadelphia : " Agreeable to order, General Wash- 
ington attended [Congress], and, after some conference with 
him. Resolved, That a committee be appointed to confer with 
his excellency general Washington, Major-general Gates, 
and brigadier-general Mifflin, and to concert a plan of mili- 
tary operations, for the ensuing campaign." — Journal of 
Congress, May 25. 

MONDAY, MAY 27. 

At Philadelphia : " On Monday afternoon [May 27], Gen. 
Washington, the Members of Congress, Gen. Gates and 
Mifflin, reviewed the four battalions, the rifle battalion, the 
light horse, and 3 artillery companies of the city militia, 
amounting to near 2500 men, when they went through their 
raanoeuvers to general satisfaction. At the same time two 
battalions of the Continental troops were reviewed by the 
General. The Indians, who are come to town on business 
with the Congress, attended the General in reviewing the 
militia, &c." — Pennsylvania Gazette, May 29, 1776. 



40 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5. 

Leaves Philadelphia: Mrs. "Washington, who had been 
with him during his stay (arriving on May 22), remained 
somewhat longer, being under inoculation for the small-pox. 
"Washington left the city in the morning, attended by Gen- 
erals Gates and Mifl&in. 

When President Hancock, under date of May 16, wrote to the Com- 
mander-in-Chief advising him of the resolution of Congress, requesting his 
presence in Philadelphia, he added : " I request the favor, that you will 
please to honor me with your and your lady's company at my house, where 
I have a bed at your service, and where every endeavour on my part and 
Mrs. Hancock's will be exerted to make your abode agreeable. I reside in 
an airy, open part of the city, in Arch Street, corner of Fourth Street." 
Washington, however, on his arrival at Philadelphia, received a note from 
Mr. Hancock, expressing his sorrow that it was not in his power to wait on 
him in person on account of a severe fit of the gout. From this note it does 
not appear that the General and Mrs. Washington availed themselves of 
the invitation. 

THUKSDAY, JUNE 6. 

At New York : " New York, June 10. — Thursday after- 
noon [June 6] his Excellency General Washington arrived 
in town from Philadelphia." — Pennsylvania Journal, June 
12, 1776. 

SATUKDAY, JUNE 8. 

At New York : Receives and answers a resolution of 
thanks from the Provincial Congress of New York, for the 
" important services he has rendered to the United Colo- 
nies." 

TUESDAY, JUNE 18. 

At New York : " June 18. — This afternoon, the Provincial 
Congress of New York gave an elegant entertainment to 
General Washington and his suite; the general and staff 
officers, and the commanding officer of the different regi- 
ments in and near the city." — Diary of the American Revo- 
lution. 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 41 

THUKSDAY, JUNE 20. 

At New York : " I have been up to view the grounds 
about Kingsbridge, and find them to admit of several places 
well calculated for defence, and, esteeming it a pass of the 
utmost importance, I have ordered works to be laid out." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

These works were of great importance in keeping open a communication 
with the country. They embraced the fort on an eminence near Hudson's 
Kiver, called Fort Washington, the redoubts at Jeffrey's Point and on the 
hills north and east of Fort Washington, breastworks at Kingsbridge, and 
Fort Independence on the north side of Harlem Creek near its junction 
with the Hudson. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26. 

At New York : " June 26.— To Expen' in Recon* the 
Channel & Landings on both sides the N" River as high as 
Tarry Town to fix the defenses thereof. . £10.8.''— Washing- 
ton's Accounts. 

'^June. . To a Keconnoitre of the East River & along the Sound as far 
as Mamerineck. . £16.9.4." — Washington's Accounts. 

FEIDAY, JUNE 28. 

At New York : Orderly Booh. — " The unhappy fate of 
Thomas Hickey executed this day for Mutiny, Sedition, and 
Treachery ; the General hopes will be a warning to every 
Soldier in the Army to avoid those crimes and all others, so 
disgraceful to the character of a Soldier, and pernicious to 
his country, whose pay he receives and Bread he eats." 

Thomas Hickey, one of Washington's Guard, was tried by a court-martial 
and sentenced to death, being found implicated in a plot to murder the 
American general officers on the arrival of the British, or at best to capture 
Washington and deliver him to Sir William Howe. The plot had been 
traced to Governor Try on, the mayor (David Matthews) having been a 
principal agent between him and the persons concerned in it. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 29. 

At New York : " I just now received an express from an 
officer appointed to keep a look-out on Staten Island, that 



42 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

forty-five [ships] arrived at tlie Hook to-day; some say 
more." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

" June 29th. — The transports were coming in, during the whole day. At 
evening, nearly 100 sail had arrived. The General Officers were in council." 
— HeaWs Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 30. 

At JSTew York : " When I had the honor of addressing 
you yesterday, I had only been informed of the arrival of 
Forty -five of the fleet in the Morning, since that I have re- 
ceived authentic Intelligence from Sundry persons, among 
them from Genl Greene, that One hundred and Ten Sail 
came in before night that were counted, and that more were 
seen about dusk in the offing." — Washington to the President 
of Congress. 

^^ June 30th. — Mrs. Washington left the city." — Heath's Memoirs. 
TUESDAY, JULY 2. 

At New York : Orderly Book. — " The time is now near 
at hand, which must probably determine whether Ameri- 
cans are to be Freemen or Slaves, whether they are to have 
any property they can call their own, whether their Houses, 
and Farms, are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they con- 
signed to a state of wretchedness from which no human 
efi:brts will probably deliver them. The fiite of unborn 
millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and 
conduct of this Army. Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy 
leaves us no choice but a brave resistance or the most Abject 
Submission ; this is all that we can expect. We have there- 
fore to resolve to conquer or die." 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3. 

At ISTew York : " Since I had the honor of addressing 
you and on the same day several ships more arrived within 
the Hook making the number that came in then, 110, and 
there remains no doubt of the whole of the Fleet from 
Halifax being now here. Yesterday Evening 50 of 'em 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 43 

came into the Bay and ancliored on tlie Staten Island side." 
— Washington to the President of Congress. 

TUESDAY, JULY 9. 

At New York : Orderly Book. — " The Honr : Continental 
Congress, impelled by the dictates of duty, policy and neces- 
sity, having been pleased to dissolve the Connection which 
subsisted between this Country and Great Britain, and to 
declare the United Colonies of America free and independent 
STATES, The several brigades are to be drawn up this 
evening on their respective Parades at six o'clock, when the 
declaration of Congress, showing the grounds & reasons 
of this Measure, is to be read with an audible voice." 

*' New York, 10 July 1776. — Agreeably to the request of Congress, I 
caused the Declaration to be proclaimed before all the army under my im- 
mediate command ; and have the pleasure to inform them, that the measure 
seemed to have their most hearty assent; the expressions and behaviour, 
both of officers and men, testifying their warmest approbation of it."^ 
Washington to the President of Congress, 

THURSDAY, JULY 11. 

At New York : " General Howe's fleet from Halifax has 
arrived, in number about one hundred and thirty sail. His 
army is between nine and ten thousand, being joined by 
some of the regiments from the West Indies, and having 
fallen in with part of the Highland troops in his passage. 
He has landed his men on Staten Island, which they mean 
to secure, and is in daily expectation of the arrival of Lord 
Howe, with one hundred and fifty ships, with a large and 
powerful reinforcement." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

" July 3d. — The British troops landed on Staten Island. A part of the 
stock had been taken off. The inhabitants, who were about 350 men, were 
supposed to be generally opposed to the revolution." — Heath's Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, JULY 14. 

At New York : " General Sullivan, in a letter of the 2d 
instant, informs me of his arrival with the army at Crown 
Point, where he is fortifying and throwing up works. He 



44 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

adds, that he has secured all the stores except three cannon 
left at Chamblee, which in part is made up by taking a fine 
twelve-pounder out of the Lake." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress. 

After the failure of the attack on Quebec (December 31, 1775), and the 
death of Montgomery, the command of the forces in front of that place 
devolved upon Arnold, who was relieved, April 1, by General Wooster with 
reinforcements from Montreal. A month later General Thomas arrived at 
the camp, and, hearing of the approach of a large armament, land and 
naval, to Quebec, he retreated up the St. Lawrence, and finally to the mouth 
of the Sorel, where he found General Thompson with part of the troops 
detached by "Washington from New York, who were making some prepara- 
tions for defence. Shortly after his arrival he was taken ill with the small- 
pox, and died on the 2d of June at Chamblee. On his death, General Sul- 
livan succeeded to the command. General "Wooster having been recalled. By 
this time the force of the enemy had increased to thirteen thousand men, 
several regiments having arrived from Ireland, one from England, another 
from General Howe, and a body of Brunswick troops under Baron Reidesel. 
After the defeat of General Thompson at Three Rivers (June 8), and being 
joined by Arnold from Montreal (June 18), Sullivan gradually fell back to 
Crown Point, and the invasion of Canada came to an end. On the 6th of 
July Generals Schuyler and Gates arrived at Crown Point, and, that post 
not being considered tenable, the army, or what was left of it, was transported 
to Ticonderoga. Sullivan, being superseded by Gates, joined the main army 
under "Washington. 

MONDAY, JULY 15. 

At New York : " Admiral Howe arrived on Friday last 
[July 12], and we hourly expect his fleet." — Washington to 
General Schuyler. 

" This will be handed to you by Mr. Griffin, who has also taken upon him 
the charge and delivery of two packets containing sundry letters, which were 
sent to Amboy yesterday by a flag, and forwarded to me to-day by General 
Mercer. The letter addressed to Governor Franklin came open to my 
hands." — Washington to the President of Congress, July 15. 

These packets contained Lord Howe's declaration of the appointment of 
himself and his brother as commissioners from the king, for granting free 
and general pardons. The letter to Governor Franklin requested him to give 
publicity to the said declaration in New Jersey. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17. 

At ll^ew York: "Yesterday evening a flag came from 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 45 

General Howe with a letter addressed to ' George "Washing- 
ton, Esq., &c. &c.' It was not received, on the same prin- 
ciple that the one from Lord Howe was refused." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress. 

On the 14th of July, Lord Howe, under a flag, sent a letter to the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, with the superscription " To George Washington, Esq.," 
■which was not received, as it did not acknowledge the rank of the General. 
This action of Washington was endorsed by Congress in their resolution of 
July 17. 

FEIDAY, JULY 19. 

At New York : " We have the enemy full in view, but 
their operations are to be suspended, till the reinforcement 
(hourly expected) arrives, when I suppose there will soon be 
pretty warm work. Lord Howe is arrived. He and the 
General, his brother, are appointed commissioners to dis- 
pense pardons to repenting sinners." — Washington to General 
Gates. 

^*July. . To my own & Parties expences laying out Fort Lee on the 
Jersey side of the N" River. . £8.15." — Washington's Accounts. 

MONDAY, JULY 22. 

At ITew York : " We have General Howe's present army, 
consisting, by good report, of abt eight or nine thousand 
men upon Staten Island, covered by their Ships. We have 
Lord Howe just arrived (that is about 10 days ago), and we 
have ships now popping In, which we suppose but do not 
know, to be part of the Fleet with the expected Reinforce- 
ments. When this arrives, if the Report of Deserters, 
Prisoners, and Tories are to be depended upon, the Enemy's 
numbers will amount at least to twenty-five thousand men ; 
ours to about fifteen thousand. More, indeed, are expected, 
but there is no certainty of their arrival, as Harvest and a 
thousand other excuses are urged as the Reasons of delay." 
— Washington to John Augustine Washington. 

«' July 23. To the Expence of Recons the Country as far as Perth Amboy 
. . £19.10." — Washington's Accounts. 



46 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

SATUEDAY AUGUST 3. 

At I^ew York : Orderly Book. — " The General is sorry to 
be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane 
cursing and swearing (a Vice heretofore but little known in 
an American Army), is growing into fashion; he hopes the 
officers will by example as well as influence endeavour to 
check it, and that both they and the men will reflect, that 
we can have little hope of the Blessing of Heaven on our 
Arms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly ; added to this 
it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that 
every man of sense and character, detests and despises it." 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7. 

At ISTew York : " By two deserters this day, we have the 
following intelligence, namely, that General Clinton and 
Lord Cornwallis with the whole Southern army, have arrived 
[August 1] and landed on Staten Island from South Caro- 
lina, in number about three or four thousand." — Washington 
to Governor Trumbull. 

Early in January, Sir Henry Clinton set sail from Boston to operate 
against the coasts of the southern provinces, and was joined at Cape Fear, 
May 3, by a considerable fleet under Admiral Sir Peter Parker, which had 
sailed from England with troops commanded by Lord Cornwallis. The 
united forces proceeded to Charleston Harbor, to make a combined attack by 
land and water upon Fort Sullivan, on Sullivan's Island, and then to seize 
the city and province. The fort, composed of palmetto logs and earth, was 
armed with twenty-six cannons and garrisoned by about five hundred men, 
chiefly militia, under Colonel William Moultrie. It commanded the chan- 
nel leading to Charleston. The attack was made on June 28 with disastrous 
results to the fleet, and three days afterwards the British departed for New 
York ; and the fort so gallantly defended was called Fort Moultrie in honor 
of its commander. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13. 

At IlTew York : Orderly Book. — " The Enemy's whole en- 
forcement is now arrived, so that an attack must and will 
soon be made; the 'General therefore again repeats his 
earnest request, that every officer and soldier will have his 
arms and Ammunition in good order, keep within their 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 47 

quarters and encampment, as mucli as possible ; be ready 
for action at a moment's call ; and when called to remember 
that Liberty, Property, Life and Honor, are all at stake." 

" We must resolve to conquer or die ; with this resolution, and the bless- 
ing of Heaven, Victory and Success, certainly will attend us : There will 
then be a glorious issue to this Campaign, and the General will reward his 
brave Fellow Soldiers with every Indulgence in his power." — Orderly Book, 
August 14. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18. 

At New York : " The whole of the British forces in 
America, except those employed in Canada, are now here, 
Clinton's arrival being followed the last week by that of 
Lord Dunmore, who now forms part of the army we are 
now to oppose. His coming has added but little to their 
strength." — Washington to Governor Trumbull. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20. 

At ITewYork: Orderly Book. — "General Sullivan is to 
take command upon Long Island till General Greene's state 
of health will permit him to resume it." 

" I have been obliged to appoint Major-Geueral Sullivan to the command 
on the Island, owing to General Greene's indisposition ; he has been ex- 
tremely ill for several days, and still continues bad." — Washington to the 
President of Congress, August 23. 

FKIDAY, AUGUST 23. 

At New York : " Yesterday morning, and in the course 
of the preceding night, a considerable body of the enemy, 
amounting by report to eight or nine thousand, and these 
all British, landed from the transport-ships mentioned in my 
last, at Gravesend Bay on Long Island, and have approached 
within three miles of our lines." — Washington to the President 
of Congress. 

"The Enemy have now landed on Long Island, and the hour is fast ap- 
proaching, on which the Honor and Success of this Army, and the Safety of 
our Bleeding Country will depend. Kemember, officers and soldiers, that you 
are freemen, fighting for the blessings of Liberty, that Slavery will be your 



48 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not acquit yourselves like 
men." — Orderly Book, August 23. 

SATUPvDAY, AUGUST 24. 

At Brooklyn, Long Island : General Putnam placed in 
command upon Long Island, General Sullivan retaining tlie 
immediate command of all the troops not within the lines 
at Brooklyn. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 26. 

At Brooklyn : Towards evening the Commander-in-Chief, 
in company with Generals Putnam, Sullivan, and other 
officers, rides down to the outposts near Flatbush, and ex 
amines the position of the enemy. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27. 

At Brooklyn : From a hill within the American lines, 
"Washington watches the Battle of Long Island, and vvdt- 
nesses the total rout of Stirling's division and the slaughter 
of the Maryland battalions. 

" The height upon which Washington stood was crowned by a redoubt, 
and occupied the block now bounded by Court, Clinton, Atlantic, and Pacific 
Streets."— iueM, " Battle of Long Island." 

WEDNESDAY AUGUST^. '^ '■'{ 

At Brooklyn : A council of war, in which it was decided 
" to give up Long Island, and not, by dividing the force, be 
unable to resist the enemy in any one point of attack." 

" The council was held [at five o'clock in the evening] in the stone 
Dutch church which stood near the junction of the present Fulton and 
Flatbush Avenues. This church was designated in the order for the evening 
as an alarm post during the night, where they might rendezvous in the event 
of the movement being discovered by the British." — Lossing, " Field-Book," 
ii. 606. 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29. 

At Brooklyn : With the army on its retreat from Long 
Island, embarking with the last of the troops, about six 
o'clock in the morning of August 30. 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 49 

" Long Island, 29 August, half-past four, A.M. — Before this, you ■will 
probably have received a letter from Mr. Harrison, of the 27th, advising 
you of the engagement between a detachment of our men and the enemy on 
that day. . . There v?as some skirmishing, the greater part of yesterday, 
between parties from the enemy and our people ; in the evening it was 
pretty smart. The weather of late has been extremely wet. Yesterday it 
rained severely the whole afternoon." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31. 

At 'New York : " Inclination as well as duty would liave 
induced me to give Congress the earliest information of my 
removal, and that of the troops, from Long Island and its 
dependencies, to this city the night before last; but the ex- 
treme fatigue, which myself and family have undergone, as 
much from the weather since, as the engagement on the 
27th, rendered me and them entirely unfit to take pen in 
hand. Since Monday, scarce any of us have been out of 
the lines till our passage across the East River was effected 
yesterday morning; and, for forty-eight hours preceding 
that, I had hardly been off my horse, and never closed my 
eyes ; so that I was quite unfit to write or dictate till this 
morning." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

FEIDAY, SEPTEMBEE 6. 

At 'New York : " I was last night honored with your favor 
of the 3d, with sundry resolutions of Congress ; and per- 
ceiving it to be their opinion and determination, that no 
damage shall be done to the city in case we are obliged to 
abandon it, I shall take every measure in my power to pre- 
vent it." — 'Washington to the President of Congress. 

" In Congress, September 3d. — Resolved, That General Washington be 
acquainted, that Congress would have special care taken, in case he should 
find it necessary to quit New York, that no damage be done to the said city 
by his troops on their leaving it : The Congress having no doubt of being 
able to recover the same, though the enemy should for a time obtain posses- 
sion of it." 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 

At ITew York : A council of war, in which it was con- 



50 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

eluded to arrange the army under three divisions, — five 
thousand to remain for the defence of the city ; nine thou- 
sand at Kingsbridge and its dependencies ; the remainder 
to occupy the intermediate space, and support either. 

THURSDAY,. SEPTEMBER 12. 

At IsTew York : A council of war, in which it was de- 
termined to abandon the city. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. 

At New York : With the main body of the army moving 
towards Fort Washington and Kingsbridge. 

"Washington made the house of Robert Murray, near the corner of the 
present Thirty-Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue, his head-quarters on the 
14th, and on the 15th he was at Mott's tavern, Harlem Plains. Early on 
the morning of the 15th, the enemy landed some troops at Kip's Bay, about 
the foot of the present Thirty-fourth Street, when two brigades of Con. 
necticut troops (Parsons and Fellows), panic-stricken at the cannonade, fled 
in confusion. Washington, hearing the cannonade, hurried to the spot, and 
meeting the fugitives, made a vain attempt to rally them ; enraged at their 
cowardice, he rode into the hottest fire, and was with difficulty turned back 
to a place of safety. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. 

At Harlem Heights : Battle of Harlem Heights, during 
which Washington was at the Point of Rocks (an outpost), 
the present One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Street and 
Ninth Avenue. 

" September 16th. — A little before noon, a smart skirmish happened on 
the heights west of Haarlem Plain, and south of Morris's house, between a 
party of Hessian Yagers, British Light-Infantry and Highlanders, and the 
American riflemen and some other troops, which ended in favour of the 
latter. The troops fought well, on both sides, and gave great proof of their 
markmanship. The Americans had several officers killed and wounded • 
among the former Lieut. Col. Knoulton, of the Connecticut line, and Capt. 
Gleason, of Nixon's Massachusetts regiment, two excellent officers." — 
Heath's Memoirs. 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. 

At Harlem Heights : Orderly Book. — " The General most 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 51 

heartily thanks the troops commanded yesterday by Major 
Leitch, who first advanced upon the enemy, and the others 
who so resolutely supported them. The behavior of yester- 
day was such a contrast to that of some troops the day 
before [at Kip^s Bay], as must show what may be done 
where Officers and Soldiers exert themselves."" 

"Washington's head-quarters at Harlem Heights were at the " Koger 
Morris House," three miles north of the village of Harlem, and about a 
mile and a half south of Fort Washington. It was erected by Colonel 
Eoger Morris, who married a daughter of Frederick Phillipse, owner of the 
Manor of Phillipsburg, which comprised a great portion of Westchester, 
and parts of Dutchess and Putnam Counties, New York. Morris adhered 
to the Crown, and when the British evacuated New York, in 1783, w^t to 
England with his fariiily. The house, which is still standing, is almost 
opposite to the intersection of Tenth Avenue and One Hundred and Sixty- 
first Street with the old Kingsbridge road. 

FKIDAY, SEPTEMBEK 20. 

At Kingsbridge : " September 20th. — The Commander in 
Chief, Maj. Gen. Putnam, and some other officers, came up 
to our General's division [at Kingsbridge], and rode round 
the camp, which, by the return, given in on the next day, 
consisted of 8771 ; but of these there was 1294 sick present, 
and 1108 sick absent." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" Our numbers, by sickness, desertion, &c., are greatly reduced. I have 
been trying these four or five days to get a return, but have not yet succeeded. 
I am sure, however, we have not more than twelve or fourteen thousand 
men fit for duty, whilst the enemy, who, it is said, are very healthy, cannot 
have less than near twenty-five thousand." — Washington to John Augustine 
Washington, September 22. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBEE 22. 

At Harlem Heights : " On Friday night [September 20], 
about eleven or twelve o'clock, a fire broke out in the city 
of ITew York, near the new, or St. Paul's church, as it is 
said, which continued to burn pretty rapidly till after sun- 
rise the next morning. I have not been informed how the 
accident happened, nor received any certain account of the 



52 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

damage. Report says many of the houses between the 
Broadway and the river were consumed." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

On this day, September 22, Captain Nathan Hale, who had volunteered to 
obtain information of the strength, situation, and future movements of the 
enemy, and who had been taken on his return with the information, was 
executed as a spy by order of Sir William Howe. It is a little singular 
that the untimely fate of the '* Martyr Spy of the American Revolution," 
whose dying words, "/ only regret that I have hut one life to lose for my 
country, ^^ form his most fitting eulogy, is nowhere alluded to by "Washington. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. 

At Harlem Heights : " The enemy have formed a large 
encampment in the plains, or rather heights, below us, ex- 
tending across from the East to the North River ; but have 
attempted nothing as yet of a general nature." — Washington 
to Governor Trumbull. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. 

At Harlem Heights : In conference on this and the fol- 
lowing day with a committee of Congress appointed to 
inquire into the state of the army and the best means of 
supplying their wants. Committee: Roger Sherman, El- 
bridge Gerry, and Francis Lewis. 

On September 28, in the morning, Washington crossed the North River, 
"in order to view the post opposite [Fort Lee], and the grounds between 
that and Paulus Hook." 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8. 

At Harlem Heights : Orderly Booh — " The General, to 
prevent any plea of ignorance, again repeats his order 
against all kinds of Gaming, as destructive and pernicious 
to the service. He hopes the officers will set no examples 
of this kind, and that they will punish it among the men." 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13. 

At Harlem Heights : " Yesterday the enemy landed at 
Frog's Point, about nine miles from hence, further up the 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 53 

Sound. Their number we cannot ascertain, as they have 
not advanced from the Point, which is a kind of island, but 
the water that surrounds it is fordable at low tide." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress, 

" As the Enemy seems now to be endeavoring to strike some stroke, be- 
fore tbe close of the Campaign, the General most earnestly conjures, both 
officers and men, if they have any Love for their Country, and Concern for 
its Liberties ; regard to the safety of their Parents, Wives, Children and 
Countrymen, that they will act with Bravery, and Spirit, becoming the 
Cause in which they are engaged." — Ord&rly Book, October 13. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16. 

At General Lee's Quarters, Kingsbridge : * A council of 
war, in which it was determined, in consequence of the 
enemy having landed the main body of their army at Frog's 
or Throck's Point (in the American rear), that the forces 
should be withdrawn into Westchester County, leaving suffi- 
cient garrison to defend Fort Washington and its dependen- 
cies. 

Washington retained his head-quarters at Harlem Heights until October 
21, when he moved to Valentine's Hill, Westchester County, and on the 
23d established himself at White Plains, twenty-six miles northeast of New 
York. 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21. 

At Valentine's Hill : " October 21st. — At about 4 o'clock, 
P.M. our General's [Heath's] division moved from above 
Kingsbridge, having, besides their light field-pieces, two 
heavy iron twelve-pounders. About 8 o'clock in the eve- 
ning, they passed Gen. Lincoln's quarters, on Volentine's 
Hill, where the Commander in Chief was to spend the 
night. Our General [Heath] waited upon him, to know if 
he had any particular commands for him." — Heath's Memoirs. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22. 

At Valentine's Hill : " I am confident your own good 

* General Lee joined the main army October 14 ; he took command of 
the troops at Kingsbridge on the 16th. 



54 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

sense, zeal, and activity will suggest to you the most prob- 
able means of maldng amends for the heavy loss we have 
sustained by the destruction of General Arnold's fleet upon 
Lake Champlain." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

On the 11th of October, General Arnold, in command of a flotilla consist- 
ing of three schooners, two sloops, three galleys, and eight gondolas, was 
attacked near Valcour Island, Lake Champlain, by Sir Guy Carleton, com- 
manding a strong armament of between twenty and thirty sail. Arnold 
succeeded in evading the enemy during the night, and finally with a small 
remnant of his squadron reached Crown Point, from whence he made sail for 
Ticonderoga. Carleton, after making several feints against the fort, returned 
to St. Johns, and cantoned his troops for the winter. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23. 

At White Plains : "While the main army in four divisions, 
under Generals Lee, Heath, Sullivan, and Lincoln, was 
moving slowly up the western side of the Bronx River to 
"White Plains, "Washington was almost the whole time on 
horseback, reconnoitring the grounds, forming posts, and 
choosing sites for breastworks and redoubts. 

MONDAY, OCTOBEE 28. 

At "White Plains : Battle of "White Plains, or Chatterton's 
Hill. 

Chatterton's Hill, where the battle was fought, sixteen hundred Americans 
being engaged, is a commanding eminence west of the Bronx River, about a 
mile from White Plains. Washington's head-quarters, at the " Miller 
House," were to the north of the village, and east of that stream, the main 
body of the army being intrenched two miles beyond. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30. 

At "White Plains : Visits the several posts of the army. 

On the night of the 31st of October, General Washington withdrew his 
army to a very strong position upon the heights of North Castle, about two 
miles in the rear of his first encampment, and five from White Plains, where 
he caused new works of defence to be thrown up. 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6. 

At "White Plains : " Yesterday morning the enemy made 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 55 

a sudden and unexpected movement from the several posta 
they had taken in our front. They broke up their whole 
encampments the preceding night and have advanced to- 
wards Kingsbridge and the Horth River. . . In consequence 
of this movement I called a council of general officers to-day 
to consult on such measures as should be adopted in case 
they pursued their retreat to I^ew York." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

The council agreed unanimously, that, in case the enemy were retreating 
towards New York, it would be proper immediately to throw a body of 
troops into Jersey ; that those raised on the west side of Hudson's Kiver 
should be detached for this purpose, and that three thousand men should be 
stationed at Peekskill and the passes of the Highlands. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBEE 10. 

At White Plains : " The late movement of the Enemy, 
and the probability of their having designs upon the Jerseys, 
(confirmed by sundry accounts from deserters and prisoners), 
rendering it necessary to throw a body of troops over the 
l^orth River, I shall immediately follow, and the command 
of the army, which remains, (after General Heath's division 
marches to Peekskill,) will devolve upon you." — Washington 
to General Lee. 

Washington left White Plains at eleven o'clock on the morning of No- 
vember 10, and arrived at Peekskill, the entrance to the Highlands, at 
sunset, 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11. 

At Peekskill, N"ew York: ^^ November 11th. — The Com- 
mander in Chief directed our General [Heath] to attend 
him in taking a view of Fort Montgomery, and the other 
works up the river. Lord Sterling, Generals James and 
George Clinton, Gen. Mifflin and others were of the com- 
pany. They went as far up the river as Constitution Island, 
which is opposite to West-Point, the latter of which was 
not then taken possession of; but the glance of the eye at 
it, without going on shore, evinced that this post was not to 



56 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

be neglected. There was a small work and a block house 
on Constitution Island. Fort Montgomery was in consider- 
able forwardness." — Heath's Memoirs. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 

At Peekskill : Reconnoitres the eastern side of the Hud- 
son, from Peekskill to the mountains, with General Heath, 
and about ten o'clock in the morning crosses the river at 
King's Ferry, into the Jerseys. 

THUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14. 

At Fort Lee, I^ew Jersey : " I have the honor to inform 
you of my arrival here yesterday, and that the whole of the 
troops belonging to the States, which lay south of Hudson's 
River, and which were in the ITew York government, have 
passed over to this side, except the regiment lately Colonel 
Smallwood's which I expect is now on their march." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey, was situated upon a sort of 
plateau, three hundred feet above the Hudson River (the Palisades), opposite 
the present One Hundred and Sixtieth Street of New York, and a short 
distance below Fort Washington. The army having gone into camp at 
Hackensack, five miles northwest of the Fort, Washington established his 
head-quarters at that place, in the house of Mr. Peter Zabriskie. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 

At Fort Lee : " This day about twelve o'clock, the enemy 
made a general attack upon our lines about Fort Washing- 
ton, which having carried, the garrison retired within the 
fort. Colonel Magaw finding there was no prospect of re- 
treating across the North River, surrendered the post. The 
force of the garrison, before the attack was about two thou- 
sand men." — Washington to General Lee. 

Washington was at head-quarters at Hackensack on November 15, when 
he was informed of the movement on Fort Washington. He immediately 
went to Fort Lee, and had partly crossed the North River, when he met 
Generals Greene and Putnam, who were returning from the Fort, who stated 
that the troops were in high spirits, and would make a good defence ; it 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 57 

being late at night, he returned to Fort Lee. On the morning of the 16th, 
in company with Generals Putnam, Greene, Mercer, and other principal 
officers, "Washington again crossed the river to the old head-quarters at the 
" Roger Morris House," from whence he surveyed the scene of operations. 
Having remained a short time, he retired. Fifteen minutes later the British 
troops took possession of the very spot on which the Commander-in-Chief, 
with the officers, had heen standing. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19. 

At Hackensack, ISTew Jersey : " This [the surrender of 
Fort Washington] is a most unfortunate affair, and has 
given me great mortification ; as we have lost not only two 
thousand men that were there, but a good deal of artillery, 
and some of the best arms we had. And what adds to my 
mortification is, that this post, after the last ships went past 
it, was held contrary to my wishes and opinion, as I con- 
ceived it to be a hazardous one." — Washington to John Au- 
gustine Washington. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21. 

At Hackensack : " Yesterday morning the Enemy landed 
a large Body of troops below Dobbs' Ferry, and advanced 
very rapidly to the Fort called by your Name [Fort Lee]. 
I immediately went over, and, as the Fort was not tenable 
on this side, and we were in a narrow neck of land, the 
passes out of which the enemy were attempting to seize, I 
directed the Troops to move over to the west side of Hack- 
ensack River." — Washington to General Lee. 

Washington, finding that the army was in some danger of being pent up 
between the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, moved, on the 21st, to the west 
side of the Passaic, crossing at Acquackanoc bridge. The retreat through 
the Jerseys begins, in which " often the music of the pursued and the pur- 
suers would be heard by each other, yet no action occurred." 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23. 

At IsTewark, ISqw Jersey : " The situation of our afiairs 
is truly critical, and such as requires uncommon exertions 
on our part. From the movements of the enemy, and the 



58 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

information we have received, they certainly will make a 
push to possess themselves of this part of the Jerseys. In 
order that you may be fully apprized of our weakness, and 
of the necessity there is of our obtaining early succors, I 
have by the advice of the general officers here, directed 
General Mifflin to wait on you." — Washington to the President 
of Congress. 

Washington arrived at Newark on the evening of the 22d, and remained 
until the morning of the 28th, the advance-guard of the British army enter- 
ing the town as his rear-guard left it ; the next day he arrived at New 
Brunswick. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30. 

At l^ew Brunswick, 'E&w Jersey : " On Thursday morn- 
ing I left l^ewark, and arrived here yesterday with the 
troops that were there. It was the opinion of all the gen- 
erals, who were with me, that a retreat to this place was 
requisite and founded in necessity." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1. 

At New Brunswick : " The enemy are advancing, and 
have got as far as Woodbridge and Amboy, and, from in- 
formation not to be doubted, they mean to push for Phila- 
delphia. The force I have with me is infinitely inferior in 
numbers, and such as cannot give or promise the least suc- 
cessful opposition." — Washington to General Lee. 

"Two brigades left us at Brunswick [by expiration of service], notwith- 
standing the enemy were within two hours march and coming on. The loss 
of these troops at this critical time reduced his Excellency to the necessity 
to order a retreat again. When we left Brunswick, we had not 3000 men." 
— General Greene to Governor Cooke, December 4. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2. 

At Princeton, New Jersey : " I arrived here this morning 
with our troops between eight and nine o'clock." — Washing- 
ton to the President of Congress. 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 59 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3. 

At Trenton, New Jersey : " I arrived here myself yester- 
day morning, with the main body of the army, having left 
Lord Stirling with two brigades at Princeton and that 
neighborhood, to watch the motions of the enemy and give 
notice of their approach. . . Immediately on my arrival 
here, I ordered the removal of all the military and other 
stores and baggage over the Delaware ; a great quantity is 
already got over." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

Thomas Paine, who was " with the troops at Fort Lee, and marched with 
them to the edge of Pennsylvania," referring in the first paper of his Amer- 
ican Crisis* to the retreat through the Jerseys, wrote: "I shall not now 
attempt to give all the particulars of our retreat to the Delaware. Suffice it, 
for the present to say, that both ofiicers and men, though greatly harassed 
and fatigued, frequently without rest, covering, or provision, the inevitable 
consequences of a long retreat, bore it with a manly and a martial spirit. 
All their wishes were one ; which was, that the country would turn out, and 
help them to drive the enemy back. Voltaire has remarked, that King 
William never appeared to full advantage, but in difficulties and in action. 
The same remark may be made on General Washington, for the character 
fits him. There is a natural firmness in some minds, which cannot be un- 
locked by trifles, but which, when unlocked, discovers a cabinet of fortitude 
and I reckon it among those kind of public blessings which we do not im- 
mediately see, that God hath blessed him with uninterrupted health, and 
given him a mind that can even flourish upon care." 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5. 

At Trenton : " I shall this day reinforce Lord Stirling [at 
Princeton] with about twelve hundred men, which will 
make his number about two thousand four hundred. To- 
morrow I mean to repair to Princeton myself, and shall 
order the Pennsylvania troops, who are not yet arrived, ex- 
cept part of the German battalion and a company of light 
infantry, to the same place. By last advices, the enemy are 
still at Brunswic ; and the account adds, that General Howe 
was expected at Elizabethtown with a reinforcement, to 

* Published at Philadelphia in December, 1776. This is the paper com- 
mencing with the well-known words : " These are the Times that try 
men's souls." 



60 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

erect the King's standard, and demand submission of this 
State." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

FKIDAY, DECEMBER 6. 

At Trenton : " To-day I shall set out for Princeton myself, 
unless something should occur to prevent me, which I do 
not expect." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8. 

At Mr. Berkeley's Summer-Seat, Pennsylvania : " Colonel 
Eeed would inform you of the intelligence, which I first 
met with on the road from Trenton to Princeton yesterday. 
Before I got to the latter, I received a second express in- 
forming me, that, as the enemy were advancing by different 
routes, and attempting by one to get in the rear of our 
troops, which were there, and whose numbers were small, 
and the place by no means defensible, they had judged it 
prudent to retreat to Trenton. The retreat was accordingly 
made, and since to this side of the river. . . In the dis- 
ordered and moving state of the army, I cannot get returns ; 
but, from the best accounts, we had between three thousand 
and three thousand five hundred men, before the Philadel- 
phia militia and German battalion arrived ; they amount to 
about two thousand." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

"Washington crossed the Delaware at Trenton with the rear-guard of the 
army, early in the morning of the 8th, and about eleven o'clock the same 
morning, the British came marching down to the river, expecting to cross, 
but no boats were within reach, all having been collected and secured on the 
west bank. 

The house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, from which the above-quoted 
letter was written, was owned by Thomas Barclay,* — not Berkeley, as given 

* Thomas Barclay, a prominent citizen of Philadelphia, was an Irishman 
by birth. He was one of the original members of "The Society of the 
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick," organized at Philadelphia in 1771, the parent 
of the present "Hibernian Society," and its president from June 17, 1779, 
to June 17, 1781. In 1780, Mr. Barclay subscribed five thousand pounds to 
the Pennsylvania Bank, an institution " established for furnishing a supply 
of provisions for the armies of the United States." 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 61 

by Washington. Mr. Barclay purchased the property, containing two hun- 
dred and twenty-one acres, in April, 1773, and it is presumed that he erected 
the house. In November, 1791, the premises, known as "Summer Seat," 
passed into the hands of Kobert Morris, the Financier of the Eevolution 
The house, which is still standing, about half a mile from the Delaware, in 
Morrisville, opposite Trenton, is now owned and occupied by John H. Os- 
borne. These head-quarters were retained until December 14. 

MONDAY, DECEMBEE 9. 

At Barclay's : " General Mifflin is this moment come up, 
and tells me, that all the military stores yet remain in Phila- 
delphia. This makes the immediate fortifying of the city 
so necessary, that I have desired General Mifflin to return 
and take charge of the stores ; and have ordered Major- 
General Putnam immediately down to superintend the works 
and give the necessary directions." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12. 

At Barclay's : " You are to post your Brigade at and near 
Bristol. Col. Mxon's Regiment to continue where it is at 
Dunk's Ferry [below Bristol]." — Washington to Colonel Cad- 
walader. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

At Barclay's : " I shall remove further up the River to be 
near the Main body of my Small Army, with which every 
possible opposition shall be given to any further approach 
of the Enemy towards Philadelphia." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

" On the 14th, Washington moved to the farm-house of William Keith, 
built in 1763, and still standing, on the road from Brownsburg to the Eagle 
tavern. These quarters were retained until December 25. Here he was 
near the upper fords of the Delaware, at which it was supposed the enemy 
would attempt to cross, and within a half-hour's ride of Newtown, the depot 
of supplies." — W. W. H. Davis, " Pennsylvania Magazine," iv. 133. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15. 

At Keith's : " With the utmost regret I must inform you 



62 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

of the loss our army has sustained by the captivity of Gen- 
eral Lee, who was made a prisoner on the morning of the 
13th by a party of seventy of the enemy's light-horse, near 
a place called Vealtown, in the Jerseys." — Washington to the 
Council of Safety of Pennsylvania. 

Notwithstanding many earnest appeals and orders from Washington to 
join the main army, Lee, who had been left at North Castle, New York, 
with a force of three thousand men, so delayed his start, and moved so 
slowly when started, that he only reached Morristown, New Jersey, on the 
11th of December, having crossed the Hudson on the 4th. On the 12th the 
troops were marched to Vealtown, now Bernardsville, eight miles distant, 
and Lee took up his quarters three miles oflP, at Mrs. White's tavern, at the 
village of Basking Kidge, where he was taken prisoner the following morn- 
ing. General Lee was not exchanged until April 21, 1778 ; he rejoined the 
army at Valley Forge, May 20. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBEE 18. 

At Keith's : " Since I came on this side, I have been 
joined by about two thousand of the city militia, and I 
understand, that some of the country militia (from the back 
counties), are on their way. But we are in a very disaffected 
part of the Province ; and, between you and me, I think 
our aiiairs are in a very bad situation. . . You can form no 
idea of the perplexity of my situation. I^o man, I believe, 
ever had a greater choice of difficulties, and less means to 
extricate himself from them. However, under a full per- 
suasion of the justice of our cause, I cannot entertain an 
Idea, that it will finally sink, tho' it may remain for some 
time under a cloud." — Washington to John Augustine Wash- 
ington. 

FEIDAY, DECEMBEE 20. 

At Camp above Trenton Falls : " The division of the 
army, lately under the command of General Lee, now of 
General Sullivan, is just upon the point of joining us. . . 
General Gates, with four eastern regiments is also near at 
hand. — P. S. Generals Gates and Sullivan have this instant 
come in." — Washington to the President of Congress. 



1776] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 63 

By the adjutant's return on the 22d of December, the army under "Wash- 
ington amounted to 10,106 men, rank and file. Of this number 6399 were 
sick on command, and on furlough ; leaving an immediate effective force 
of 4707. But this return did not include the four regiments just arrived, 
from the northern army, nor Lee's division, now commanded by Sullivan, 
nor the Pennsylvania militia, under General Cadwalader, at Bristol. The 
four regiments, having been greatly reduced by disease, amounted to about 
twelve hundred, Cadwalader's militia to eighteen hundred, and Sullivan's 
division to about three thousand. 



MONDAY, DECEMBER 23. 

At Camp above Trenton Falls : " Christmas day at night, 
one hour before day, is the time fixed upon for our attempt 
on Trenton. For Heaven's sake keep this to yourself, as 
the discovery of it may prove fatal to us." — Washington to 
Colonel Cadwalader. 

Four brigades, under Generals Stirling, Mercer, Stephen, and De Fermoy, 
had been posted on the Delaware to guard the fords above Trenton, the 
troops being stationed at the crossings from Yardley's up to Coryell's Ferry, 
now New Hope. This and the letter of December 20 were written from 
one of these camps, probably that of Lord Stirling, at Beaumont's, eleven 
miles up the river, which Washington had also visited on the 10th. The 
Commander-in-Chief returned to head-quarters at Keith's on the evening of 
December 24. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25. 

At McKonkey's Ferry, on the Delaware: Crosses the 
river a little before midnight, the transportation of the 
troops, about two thousand four hundred, being completed 
at three o'clock in the morning of the 26th. Marches with 
the army to Trenton, New Jersey. 

The command was formed into two divisions under Generals Sullivan and 
Greene, one to march by the lower or river road, the other by the upper or 
Pennington road. Washington marched with the upper division under 
Greene, which arrived at the enemy's advanced post at eight o'clock, a few 
minutes earlier than the lower division. McKonkey's Ferry, now Tavlors- 
ville, on the Pennsylvania side of the river, and designated on the Jersey 
shore as " Washington's Crossing," is about nine miles above Trenton. A 
bridge nine hundred feet long now takes the place of the old ferry. 



64 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1776 

THUESDAT, DECEMBEK 26. 

At Trenton: Surprises the Hessians, who, after a short 
and decisive engagement, surrender, and recrosses the river 
the same evening, with nearly a thousand prisoners, the 
same number of arms, and several cannon. 

FKIDAY, DECEMBER 27. 

At [N'ewtown, Pennsylvania : " I have the pleasure of con- 
gratulating you upon the success of an enterprise, which I 
had formed against a detachment of the enemy lying in 
Trenton, and which was executed yesterday morning." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

Newtown, where Washington made his head-quarters after the battle of 
Trenton, then the countj'-seat of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is about five 
miles west of the Delaware Eiver, and about the same distance southwest of 
Taylorsville. The house occupied was the property of John Harris ; it was 
retained by Washington as his quarters until December 29, when he set out 
to recross the Delaware. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29. 

At ITewtown : " I am just setting out to attempt a second 
passage over the Delaware, with the troops that were with 
me on the morning of the 26th." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30. 

At Trenton : This morning Washington crossed the Dela- 
ware at McKonkey's Ferry, in advance of the troops, and 
proceeded to Trenton. 

Washington's head-quarters at Trenton were at the house of Major John 
Barnes (a Loyalist), on the west side of Queen, now Greene Street, a short 
distance north of the Assunpink Creek. These quarters he retained until 
January 2, when he moved to the " True American Inn," on the south side 
of the creek. 



1777- 



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1. 

At Trenton : " On Monday morning [December 30, 1776,1 
I passed the Delaware myself; the whole of our troops and 

artillery not till yesterday, owing to the ice, which rendered 
their passage extremely difficult and fatiguing. . . General 
Mifflin is at Bordentown with about eighteen hundred men, 
and General Cadwalader at Crosswicks with about the same 
number." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

The troops under Generals Mifflin and Cadwalader, composed of Pennsyl- 
vania militia, joined the main army at Trenton by a night march, on the 1st. 

THTJESDAY, JANUARY 2. 

At Trenton : The enemy, who were in force at Princeton, 
under Lord Cornwallis, advanced during the day, the head 
of their column reaching Trenton about four o'clock in the 
afternoon. After making several attempts from the north, 
to cross a small bridge spanning the Assunpink Greek, to 
the south of which the army was encamped, they halted for 
the night. Washington, having discovered by this time that 
they were greatly superior in number, called a council of 
war, in which it was decided to abandon the Delaware, and 
by marching silently in the night gain the rear of the troops 
still at Princeton, and, if possible, strike a blow at N'ew 
Brunswick, the depository of the British stores. Accord- 
ingly, after renewing all the fires, the army left its position 
at midnight, and by a circuitous route reached Princeton, 
ten miles distant, about sunrise of the 3d. 

The council of war was held at the Douglas House, nearly two squares 
south of the creek, on ground now occupied by the German Lutheran 
Church. 

6 65 



QQ ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3. 

At the battle of Princeton : The seventeenth and fifty- 
fifth regiments of the British brigade, commanded by Colo- 
nel Mawhood, being defeated, the former retreated towards 
Trenton, and the latter to New Brunswick, as did also the 
fortieth, which took little part in the action. 

Washington pursued the enemy as far as Kingston, beyond the Millstone 
Eivcr, three miles northeast of Princeton, and then filing off to the left, 
after destroying the bridge, marched to Somerset Court-house, now Mill- 
stone, where the troops bivouacked for the night. " Washington and some 
of his staff quartered at the residence of John Van Doren, just south of the 
village; the house is still standing, as is the barn in which the general's 
horse was stabled."* In the morning the army continued the march over 
the hills to Pluckamin, twenty miles north of Princeton, which place was 
reached during the afternoon. 

When Horace Walpole heard of the affair at Trenton, and Washington's 
night march to Princeton, he wrote to Sir Horace Mann : " Washington the 
dictator, has shown himself both a Fabius and a Camillus. His march 
through our lines is allowed to have been a prodigy of generalship." 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5. 

At Pluckamin, Kew Jersey : " Fortune has favored us in 
an attack on Princeton. . . . Three regiments of British 
troops were quartered there, which we attacked and routed. 
The number of the killed, wounded, and prisoners amounts 
to about five or six hundred. . . . After the action we im- 
mediately marched for this place. I shall remove from 
hence to Morristown." — Washington to General Putnam. 

" January 5th, 1777. — This morning the General ordered 40 of our Light 
Infantry to attend the funeral of Col. Leslie one of the enemy [wounded at 
Princeton], to bury him with the honors of war." — Diary of Captain Thomas 
Rodney, "Papers of the Hist. Soc. of Delaware," viii. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 6. 

At Morristown, 'New Jersey : " January 6th. — "We left 
Pluckemin this morning and arrived at Morristown just 
before sunset." — Diary of Captain Thomas Rodney. 

* The " Story of an Old Farm," by Andrew D. Mellick, p. 382. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON, 67 

At Morristown, Washington made his head-quarters at a tavern owned 
and kept by Colonel Jacob Arnold, on the northwest side of the Public 
Square. It was a frame building, which was removed in 



SATUKDAY, JANUAKY 18. 

At Morristown : " The enemy by two lucky strokes, at 
Trenton and Princeton, have been obliged to abandon every 
part of Jersey except Brunswic and Amboy, and the small 
tract of country between them, which is so entirely exhausted 
of supplies of every kind, that I hope, by preventing them 
from sending their foraging parties to any great distance, to 
reduce them to the utmost distress, in the course of this 
winter." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

MONDAY, JANUAKY 20. 

At Morristown : " Our affairs here are in a very prosper- 
ous train. Within a month past, in several engagements 
with the enemy, we have killed, wounded, and taken pris- 
oners between two and three thousand men. I am very 
confident, that the enemy's loss here will oblige them to 
recall their force from your State." — Washington to Governor 
Choke, of Rhode Island, 

On the 26th of December, 1776, the squadron of Sir Peter Parker, bearing 
between eight and ten thousand men, British and Hessians, commanded by 
General Clinton and Earl Percy, entered Narragansett Bay. The troops 
landed about four and a half miles above Newport, and took possession of 
Ehode Island. Early in May, 1777, General Clinton, with nearly half the 
army, left for New York, and the command devolved upon Major-General 
Prescott, who was superseded in 1778 by Sir Kobert Pigot, with reinforce- 
ments. In August, 1778, General Sullivan in conjunction with the French 
fleet under D'Estaing undertook to regain possession of Khode Island, but 
the attempt was unsuccessful, and Sullivan, after the battle of August 29 
(Quaker Hill), was forced to evacuate the Island. The British held pos- 
session until October 25, 1779, when Sir Henry Clinton, apprehending an 
attack upon New York by the combined forces of the French and Ameri- 
cans, withdrew the troops. 

THUKSDAY, JANUARY 23. 

At Morristown : " The Philadelphia Troop of Light Horse 



68 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

under the command of Captain Morris, having perform'd 
their Tour of duty are discharged for the present. 

" I take this Opportunity of returning my most sincere 
thanks to the Captain and to the Gentlemen who compose 
the Troop, for the many essential Services which they have 
rendered to their Country, and to me personally during the 
Course of this severe Campaign. Tho' composed of Gentle- 
men of Fortune, they have shewn a noble Example of dis- 
cipline and subordination, and in several Actions have shewn 
a Spirit of Bravery which will ever do Honor to them and 
will ever be gratefully remembered by me." — Washington to 
the Philadelphia Troop of Light Horse. 

FKIDAY, JANUARY 24. 

At Morristown : " While our dependence is upon militia, 
we have a full army one day, and scarce any the next ; and 
I am much afraid, that the enemy one day or other, taking 
advantage of one of these temporary weaknesses, will make 
themselves masters of our magazines of stores, arms, and 
artillery." — Washington to Governor IVunibull. 

The letter from which the above extract is made was sent as a circular to 
each of the New England States. After alluding to the want of a regular 
body of troops, on whom he could depend for a length of time, and urging 
the prompt equipment of the battalions allotted to each State by the reso- 
lutions of Congress of September, 1776, Washington wrote: "Nothing but 
their [the enemy's] ignorance of our numbers protects us at this very time, 
when, on the contrary, had we six or eight thousand regular troops, or could 
the militia, who were with me a few days ago, have been prevailed upon to 
stay, we could have struck such a stroke, as would have inevitably ruined 
the army of the enemy, in their divided state." 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25. 

At Morristown : Issues a proclamation commanding and 
requiring every person who had signed a declaration of 
fidelity, taken the oath of allegiance, and engaged not to 
take up arms against the King of Great Britain, to repair 
to head-quarters within thirty days, and there deliver up 
such protection, certificate, and passport, and take the oath 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 69 

of allegiance to the United States of America, or withdraw 
within the British lines. 

This proclamation, which was issued to counteract the effects of one by 
Lord Howe and General Howe, November 30, 1776, promising amnesty to 
all in rebellion who should, within sixty days, return to their allegiance, was 
objected to by the Legislature of New Jersey, that body regarding it as a 
violation of State supremacy. Others again, jealous of the extraordinary 
powers vested by Congress in Washington (December 27, 1776), questioned 
whether he had not transcended these powers, and exercised a degree of 
despotism. 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26. 

At Morristown : " Reinforcements come up so extremely 
slow, that I am afraid I shall be left without any men before 
they arrive. The enemy must be ignorant of our numbers, 
or they have not horses to move their artillery, or they 
would not suffer us to remain undisturbed." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 

At Morristown ; " The cry of want of Provisions comes to 
me from all Quarters — Genl Maxwell writes word that his 
men are starving — Genl Johnston, of Maryland yesterday in- 
formed me that his people could draw none — this difficulty 
I understand prevails also at Chatham — "What Sir is the 
meaning of this ? — & why were you so desirous of excluding 
others from this business when you are unable to accom- 
plish it yourself? Consider, I beseech you, the consequences 
of this neglect." — Washington to Commissary Irvine, 

SATURDAY, MARCH 1. 

At Morristown : Orderly Book. — " Alexander Hamilton 
Esq' is appointed Aide de Camp to the Commander in 
Chief, and is to be respected and obeyed as such." 

The appointment of Hamilton as a member of the military family of Wash- 
ington brought out the following congratulatory letter from his early pre- 
ceptor Hugh Knox, dated St. Croix, Decetnber 10, 1777, which in the light 
of history may be considered remarkably prophetic : •' The honorable post 



70 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

you hold under the Gbeat General Washington, and so near his person, 
will give you a peculiar advantage for delineating his character, both in his 
amiable private virtues, and military abilities. And depend upon it, the 
very minutiae of that incomparable man will be read with avidity by pos- 
terity. You know me too well, I hope, to suspect me of superstition ; yet 
I feel myself, at times, under a strong impulse to prophesr/, that Washington 
was born for the deliverance of America — that that Providence who has 
raised and trained him up for that very purpose, will watch over his sacred 
life with a paternal and solicitous care ; will shield his head in every day of 
battle — will give him to see KrameA free, flourishing^ and happy — and will 
adorn his fame, among latest posterity, with a Garland of Laurel, more 
verdant, blooming, and enviable, than ever adorned the brow of a Marl- 
borough." 

Hugh Knox, D.D., was born in Ireland about 1733, and emigrated to this 
country in 1751. He was graduated at Princeton in 1754, and, after study- 
ing theology a year longer, was ordained. Dr. Knox settled at St. Croix, 
and became pastor of the Presbyterians who were living on that island. 
Alexander Hamilton was placed under his instruction in boyhood. He died 
October, 1790. 

SUNDAY, MAECH 2. 

At Morristown : " General Howe cannot, by the best in- 
telligence I have been able to get, have less than ten thou- 
sand men in the Jerseys and on board of transports at 
Amboy. Ours does not exceed four thousand. His are 
well disciplined, well ofiicered, and well appointed. Ours 
raw Militia, badly officered, and under no Government." — 
Washington to Robert Morris. 

THUKSDAY, MAECH 6. 

At Morristown : " I tell you in confidence, that, after the 
15th of this month, when the time of General Lincoln's 
militia expires, I shall be left with the remains of five 
Virginia regiments, not amounting to more than as many 
hundred men, and parts of two or three other Continental 
battalions, all very weak. The remainder of the army will 
be composed of small parties of militia from this State and 
Pennsylvania, on which little dependence can be put, as 
they come and go when they please." — Washington to Gov- 
ernor Trumbull. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 71 

FKIDAY, MAKCH 14. 

At Morristown : " From the most accurate estimate that 
I can form, the whole of our numbers in Jersey, fit for duty 
at this time, is under three thousand. These, nine hundred 
and eighty-one excepted, are militia, and stand engaged 
only till the last of this month. The troops under inocula- 
tion, including their attendants, amount to about one thou- 
sand." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

Such had been the melancholy and deplorable situation of the army the 
preceding campaign, particularly in Canada, from the ravages of the small- 
pox, that very efficient measures had been taken this winter to prevent 
the disease from spreading among the soldiers. An establishment for in- 
oculation was provided near Morristown for the troops in camp ; one at 
Philadelphia for those coming from the south ; another under the direction 
of General Parsons in Connecticut for the soldiers in that State ; and another 
at Providence. 

SATUKDAY, MAKCH 15 

At Morristown : " ilibmstoif??!, March 15,1777. — His Ex- 
cellency has been ill for some days, but is now perfectly re- 
covered, and has the satisfaction of his amiable lady's com- 
pany, who arrived here this day in good health." — Letter in 
the Continental Journal, March 27. 

" Kingston, 26 March 1777. — No circumstance could have more contributed 
to our happiness than to hear of the General's recovery ; which, believe me, 
gave universal joy. Be pleased to make my most respectful compliments to 
his lady." — Oouverneur Morris to Alexander Hamilton. 

SATUKDAY, MARCH 22. 

At Morristown : " March 22. — "Went to Morristown. Fin- 
ished my business with the Paymaster, and drank tea at 
headquarters, General "Washington and his lady being of 
the company, and then took leave of the General." — Journal 
of Colonel Ti^^iothy Pickering. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 15. 

At Morristown : " The designs of the enemy are not as 
yet closely unfolded, but Philadelphia I conceive is the ob- 



72 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

ject in view; however, this may or may not be the case; 
as the North River must also be an object of very great im- 
portance to them, whilst they have an army in Canada and 
are desirous of a junction with it." — Washington to Landon 
Carter. 

MONDAY, APRIL 28. 

At Morristown : " At three o'clock this morning I re- 
ceived your favor of the 27th. The intelligence it contains 
is interesting and truly distressing. By this time I fear the 
enemy have effected their purpose and destroyed all the 
stores at Danbury." — Washington to General McDougall. 

On the 25th of April, in the afternoon, two thousand British troops landed 
at Compo, near Fairfield, Connecticut, under the command of Governor 
Tryon. They reached Danbury the next day at four o'clock in the after- 
noon, and immediately set fire to the public stores and several private dwell- 
ings. On the return to their ships, they were met at Ridgefield by Generals 
Silliman, Arnold, and Wooster, with six hundred militia hastily collected, 
and a sharp confiict ensued. General "Wooster was wounded and died on 
the 2d of May. Sixteen hundred tents which had been removed from Peeks- 
kill to Danbury for safe keeping were destroyed. 

THURSDAY, MAY 8. , 

At Morristown : Orderly Book. — " As few vices are at- 
tended with more pernicious consequences in civil life ; so 
there are none more fatal in a military one, than that of 
GAMING ; which often brings disgrace and ruin upon offi- 
cers, and injury and punishment upon the soldiery; And 
reports prevailing, which it is to be feared are too well 
founded, that this destructive vice has spread its baneful 
influence in the army, and, in a peculiar manner, to the 
prejudice of the recruiting service. The Commander in 
chief, in the most pointed and explicit terms, forbids ALL 
Officers and Soldiers, playing at cards, dice, or at any games, 
except those of EXEECISE, for diversion; it being im- 
possible if the practice be allowed, at all, to discriminate 
between innocent play, for amusement, and criminal gaming 
for pecuniary and sordid purposes." 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 73 

" Let vice and immorality of every kind be discouraged as much as pos- 
sible in your brigade ; and, as a chaplain is allowed to each regiment, see 
that the men regularly attend divine worship. Gaming of every kind is 
expressly forbidden, as being the foundation of evil, and the cause of many 
a brave and gallant officer's ruin. Games of exercise for amusement may 
not only be permitted but encouraged." — Washington's Instructions to the 
Brigadier Generals, May 26. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28. 

At Morristown : " I am just moving to Boundbrook 
[Middlebrook], from whence I returned yesterday morning. 
On Monday morning a body of the enemy advanced near 
that post. They retreated, on seeing a detachment march 
to meet them." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

At this time the troops under Washington's immediate command, over 
seven thousand strong, were those from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Dela- 
ware, Maryland, and Virginia, in all forty-three regiments, including 
Hazen's. They were divided into ten brigades ; and into five divisions, of 
two brigades each, under Major-Generals Greene, Stephen, Sullivan, Lincoln, 
and Stirling. The artillery was commanded by Knox. The New York and 
eastern troops were chiefly at Peekskill and Ticonderoga. 

THURSDAY, MAY 29. 

At Middlebrook, Nev^r Jersey : Estabhshes head-quarters, 
where he remains (except as noted) until July 3. 

Middlebrook, Somerset County, New Jersey, is on the Earitan Eiver, 
fifteen miles south of Morristown. Middlebrook and Boundbrook lie close 
together, and are included in one village. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 17. 

At Middlebrook : " The main body of our army is en- 
camped at Middlebrook, and a considerable body under 
General Sullivan at Sourland Hills. . . . The enemy are 
strongly posted, having their right at Brunswic and their 
left at Somerset." — Washington to General Arnold. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 22. 

At Middlebrook : " 11 o'clock P.M. — The enemy evacu- 
ated Brunswic this morning and retired to Amboy, burning 



74 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

many houses as they went along. . . Our people pursued 
them as far as Piscataway ; but finding it impossible to over- 
take them, and fearing they might be led too far from the 
main body, they returned to Brunswic." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25. 

At Quibbletown, New Jersey : " After the evacuation of 
Brunswic, I determined with the advice of my general offi- 
cers, to move the whole army the next morning to this post, 
where they would be nearer the enemy, and might act ac- 
cording to circumstances. In this I was prevented by rain, 
and they only moved yesterday morning." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

Quibbletown (now New Market), Middlesex County, New Jersey, is about 
six miles from Middlebrook on the road to Amboy. 

THURSDAY, JUNE 26. 

At Middlebrook : On the morning of the 26th, General 
Howe advanced with his whole army in several columns 
from Amboy, as far as Westfield, with the design of either 
bringing on a general engagement, or to possess himself of 
the heights and passes in the mountains on the American 
left. "Washington, perceiving this, put the troops in motion 
and regained the camp at Middlebrook. After some skir- 
mishing the enemy retired on the 27th to Amboy. 

SATURDAY JUNE 28. 

At Middlebrook: Orderly Book. — "All chaplams are to 
perform divine service to-morrow, and on every other suc- 
ceeding Sunday, with their respective brigades and regi- 
ments, when their situations will admit of it, and the com- 
manding officers of corps are to see that they attend. The 
Commander-in-Chief expects an exact compliance with this 
order, and that it be observed in future as an invariable rule 
of practice, and every neglect will not only be considered a 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 75 

breach of orders, but a disregard to deceucy, virtue, and 
religion." 

TUESDAY, JULY 1. 

At Middlebrook : " The ships that were at Amboy moved 
down round Stateu Island this morning, and all the troops 
that were encamped opposite to the town struck their tents 
and marched off. Upon the whole, there is the strongest 
reason to conclude that General Howe will push up the 
river immediately to cooperate with the army from Canada, 
which, it appears from the accounts transmitted by General 
St. Clair, has certainly in view an attack on Ticonderoga 
and the several dependent posts." — Washington to General 
Putnam. 

" The day before yesterday be [General Howe] tbrew the whole of his 
army over to Staten Island, and totally evacuated the State of New Jersey." 
— Washington to General Schuyler, July 2. 

FKIDAY, JULY 4. 

At Morristown : " The army marched yesterday for this 
place, where it will be more conveniently situated for succor- 
ing Peeks Kill, or the Eastern States, and will be near 
enough to oppose any design upon Philadelphia. General 
Sullivan is further advanced towards Peeks Kill." — Wash- 
ington to Governor Ti'umbidl. 

" I am yet perplexed to find out the real intentions of the enemy ; but, 
upon a presumption that their views are up the North River, I have ad- 
vanced General Sullivan's division as far as Pompton, and the main body 
of the army to this place," — WashingtoJi to General Armstrong, Morristown, 
July 4. 

THURSDAY, JULY 10. 

At Morristown : " I this morning received a letter of the 
7th instant from General Schuyler, a copy of which, and of 
its enclosure, I herewith send you. Tlie intelligence which 
they contain [the evacuation of Ticonderoga] is truly inter- 
esting, supposing it just. . . In consequence of the advices 
from General St. Clair, and the probability there is that 



76 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

General Howe will push against tlie Highland passes to 
cooperate with General Burgoyne, I shall, by the advice of 
my officers, move the army from hence to-morrow morning 
towards the North River." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

On the 1st of July, General Burgoyne, with an army of more than seven 
thousand men, including four hundred Indians, appeared before Ticonderoga, 
garrisoned with about two thousand under the command of Major-General 
Arthur St. Clair. General Burgoyne, perceiving that St. Clair had neglected 
to occupy Mount Hope and Mount Defiance, took possession of the former 
on the following day, and the latter, which completely commanded Ticon- 
deroga and Mount Independence, on the night of the 4th. In a council of 
war on the 5th, called by St. Clair, it was decided to evacuate both forts, and 
at two o'clock on the 6th the troops were put in motion. The main body 
proceeded to Castleton, Vermont, but the rear-guard remained for the night 
at Hubbardton, where, on the following morning, a desperate, and to the 
Americans a disastrous battle was fought. The evacuation of Ticonderoga, 
without efiforts at defence, was loudly condemned, and Congress, listening to 
the popular clamor, suspended St. Clair from command, and appointed 
General Gates to supersede General Schuyler in command of the northern 
department. 

SATUKDAT, JULY 12. 

At Pompton Plains, [N'ew Jersey : " We have been pre- 
vented marching to-day by the rain; but, as soon as the 
weather permits, we shall proceed as expeditiously as we 
can towards the North River, and cross, or not, as shall 
appear necessary from circumstances." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

^^ July 11. — The whole army marched from Morristown to Pompton 
Plains, about seventeen miles. . July 12. A rainy day. . 13th, the same. . 
14th, marched to Van Aulen's, a mile east of Pond Church ; 15th to Sov- 
ereign (Suffren's or Suffern's) tavern near the entrance to Smith's Clove." — 
Pickering's Jownal. 

SUNDAY, JULY 13. 

At Pompton Plains : " This is the second day I have 
been detained here by the badness of the weather. As 
soon as it will permit, I shall prosecute my march through 
the Clove." — Washington to General Schuyler. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 77 

" Tradition reports that Washington had his head-quarters [at Pompton] 
in a little frame house, on the hanks of the Wynockie, which stands at the 
hend of a road leading from the Kyerson Furnace to the Passaic County 
Hotel. It is opposite to a more imposing structure known as the Ryerson 
House. During the revolution it belonged to Capt. Arent Schuyler." — 
Magazine of American History, iii. 158. 

TUESDAY, JULY 15. 

At Suffern's Tavern : " The evacuation of Ticonderoga 
and Mount Independence is an Event of Chagrin and sur- 
prise, not apprehended nor within the compass of my reason- 
ing. . . This stroke is severe indeed, and has distressed me 
much." — Washington to General Schuyler. 

Suffern's Tavern, which "Washington made his head-quarters until July 
20th, was in Orange County, New York, near the entrance to the Clove. 

" The Clove is extremely wild, and was scarcely known before the war : 
it is a sort of valley, or gorge, situated to the westward of the high moun- 
tains between New Windsor and King's Ferry, and at the foot of which are 
West Point and Stoney Point, and the principal forts which defend the 
river." — De ChastelliKC, i. 345. 

FRIDAY, JULY 18. 

At Suffern's Tavern : " Upon my Eequisition, General 
Arnold, waiving for the present all dispute about rank, left 
Philadelphia and arrived here last Evening, and this day 
proceeds on his journey to join you." — Washington to Gen- 
eral Schuyler. 

SATURDAY, JULY 19. 

At Suffern's Tavern : " Genl. Howe still lays intirely quiet 
on board the Fleet at Staten Island, very few troops remain 
on shore, and the destination a profound secret. Whatever 
were his intentions before this unlucky Blow to the North- 
ward, he certainly ought in good policy to endeavor to 
cooperate with Genl. Bargoine. I am so fully of opinion 
that this will be his plan that I have advanced the Army 
thus far to support our party at Peeks Kill should the 
Enemy move up the River." — Washington to General Heath. 



78 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

SUNDAY, JULY 20. 

At Galloway's in the Clove : " Went from SufFem's tavern 
into the Clove eleven miles. Head-quarters at Galloway's, 
an old log house. The General [Washington] lodged in^ 
bed, and his family on the floor about him. We had plenty 
of sepawn and milk, and all were contented." — Pickering's 
Journal. 

MONDAY, JULY 21. 

At Galloway's : " The intelligence, which occasioned lis 
to advance from the Entrance of the Clove yesterday morn- 
ing, I find to have been premature, and mean to remain here 
till I have your answer." — Washington to General Putnam. 

The movement into the Clove was made under the supposition, or prema- 
ture intelligence, that General Howe was about pushing up the North Kiver 
to co-operate with General Burgoyne. 

TUESDAY, JULY 22. 

At Galloway's : " We have been under great embarrass- 
ments respecting the intended operations of General Howe, 
and still are, notwithstanding the utmost pains to obtain 
intelligence of the same. At present it would appear that 
he is going out to sea. By authentic information, there are 
only forty ships at JSTew York ; the rest are gone elsewhere, 
and have fallen down between the Narrows and the Hook. 
Between these two places, the number, from the most ao- 
curate observation, was about one hundred and twenty yes- 
terday." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

TUUESDAY, JULY 24. 

At Ramapo, N"ew Jersey : " I have just received advice 
of the Enemj^'s fleet having sailed from the Hook ; in con- 
sequence of which I have to desire, that you will immediately 
order General Sullivan's & Lord Stirling's Divisions to cross 
the river [the Hudson], and proceed towards Philadelphia." 
— Washington to General Putnam. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 79 

" Ramapo, or Ramopock, was a small settlement, about five miles south 
of the present Sufiiern's Station on the New York and Erie rail- way, and 
within the province of New Jersey. It was nearly seven miles below the 
present village of Eamapo, founded by Mr. Pierson." — Lossing, '* Field- 
Book," i. 780. 

FRIDAY, JULY 25. 

At Ramapo : " I have reed yours of Yesterday's date En- 
closing the Intercepted Letter from Genl Howe to Burgoyne. 
To me a stronger proof could not be given, that the former 
is not going to the Eastward, than this Letter adduces. It 
was evidently intended to fall into our hands. ... I am 
persuaded more than ever, that Philadelphia is the place of 
destination." — Washington to General Putnam. 

The letter from General Howe to General Burgoyne, referred to above, 
informing the latter that an expedition to Boston would take the place of 
one up the North River, was written to deceive. It, however, only con- 
firmed Washington in his purpose to put the army in motion towards Phil- 
adelphia. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30. 

At Coryell's Ferry, New Jersey : " As we are uncertain 
as to the real destination of the enemy, tho the Delaware 
seems most probable, I have thought it prudent to halt the 
army at this place, Howell's Ferry, and Trenton, at least till 
the Fleet actually enters the Bay, and puts the matter be- 
yond a doubt. Genl Howe's in a manner abandoning Gen- 
eral Burgoyne is so unaccountable a matter, that, till I am 
fully assured it is so, I cannot help casting my Ej'es con- 
tinually behind me." — Washington to General Gates. 

The route of the army from the Clove to Coryell's Ferry, on the Dela- 
ware, sixteen miles above Trenton, is given by Colonel Pickering in his 
Journal: ^^ July 23d. Returned from the Clove to Ramapo. 25th. 
Marched to Pompton ; 26th, to Morristown ; 27th, to Reading, eighteen 
miles from Coryell's Ferry over the Delaware. 28th. Marched to the ferry, 
and quartered at a hearty old Quaker's named Oakham." 

THURSDAY, JULY 31. 

At Coryell's Ferry; "At half after nine o'clock this 



80 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

morning, I received an express from Congress, advising 
that the enemy's fleet, consisting of two hundred and twenty- 
eight sail were at the Capes of Delaware yesterday in the 
forenoon. . . . The troops are on their march from hence." 

— Washington to Governor Trumbull. 

Washington left Eamapo on the 25th of July, and arrived at Coryell's 
Ferry, on the Delaware, now Lambertville, New Jersey, on the 28th. One . 
brigade of the army crossed the river on the morning of the 29th; two 
divisions under General Stephen crossed at Howell's Ferry, now Stockton, 
three miles above, and Lord Stirling at Trenton. The troops which crossed 
at Coryell's and Howell's, comprising the bulk of the army, were put in 
march for Philadelphia, down the Old York Road, on the morning of the 
31st, Washington going in advance, arriving in the city at about ten o'clock 
at night. On the following day, August 1, he examined the defences of the 
Delaware,* and passed the night at Chester, fifteen miles below Philadelphia. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1. 

At Chester, Pennsylvania : " I have this moment [10 
o'clock P.M.] received intelligence by express, that the 
enemy's fleet yesterday morning about eight o'clock sailed 
out of the Capes in an eastern course." — Washington to Gen- 
eral Putnam. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2. 

At Philadelphia: In conference with a committee of 
Congress. Washington remained in Philadelphia until the 
afternoon of August 4. 

It was during this visit to Philadelphia that Washington, at a public 
dinner given in his honor, met Lafayette for the first time. The marquis, 
who had just been commissioned a major-general, refers to this meeting in 
his Memoirs, which are written in the third person, in the following words : 
" The two Howes having appeared before the Capes of the Delaware, Gen- 
eral Washington came to Philadelphia, and M. de Lafayette beheld for the 
first time that great man. Although he was surrounded by ofllcers and 
citizens, it was impossible to mistake for a moment his majestic figure and 

* " Aug. 1777.— Expended in a trip to examine Mud Isl* [Fort Mifflin] 
Red bank [Fort Mercer] and Billingsport. . 60| Doll'.— To Ditto going to 
Marcus hook. . 86 Doll'." — Washington^ a Accounts. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 81 

deportment; nor was he less distinguished hy the noble affability of his 
manner." 

MONDAY, AUGUST 4. 

At Philadelphia: "You will perceive by the enclosed 
copy of a letter from Congress, that they have destined you 
to the command of the army in the northern department, 
and have directed me to order you immediately to repair to 
that post. I have therefore to desire you will, in pursuance 
of their intention, proceed to the place of your destination, 
with all the expedition you can, and take upon you the 
command of the.'nof6hern army accordingly." — Washington 
to General Gates. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5. 

At Schuylkill Falls : " Our affairs at the northward have 
taken a turn not more unfortunate than unexpected. . . 
This affair has cast a dark shade upon a very bright pros- 
pect, our accounts from that quarter being very gloomy; 
but some reinforcements having been sent up, and some 
good officers, it is to be hoped that the cloud will be dis- 
pelled." — Washington to John Augustine Washington. 

On August 1st, the army arrived at its camping ground between German- 
town and the Schuylkill Kiver (Schuylkill Falls), five miles north of Phila- 
delphia, where "Washington rejoined it on the afternoon of the 4th, making 
his head-quarters at the country-seat of Henry Hill, on Indian Queen Lane, 
about one mile east of the Falls, and the same distance from Germantown. 
The house was taken down in 1780.* 

The army remained at the "camp by Schuylkill Falls," until the after- 
noon of August 8, when, under the supposition that the enemy had sailed 
for the eastward, it was started back to the Hudson. 

THUKSDAY, AUGUST 7. 

At Schuylkill Falls : " We are yet entirely in the dark aa 
to the destination of the Enemy. The Fleet has neither 
been seen nor heard of since they left the Capes of Dela- 

* See the paper entitled " The Camp by Schuylkill Falls," Pennsylvania 
Magazine^ vol. xvi. p. 28. 

7 



82 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

ware, on this day week. . . I have ordered the heavy bag- 
gage of the army to be thrown over the Delaware again, 
and I hold the men in constant readiness to march the 
moment we receive any accounts of the Enemy." — Wash- 
ington to General Putnam. 

" The troops of the whole Line are to be in readiness to be review 'd to- 
morrow Morning at 5 o'clock, when it is expected every Officer and Soldier 
not on duty and able will attend." — Orderly Book, August 7. 

PEIDAY, AUGUST 8. 

At Schuylkill Falls : " August 8th. — The army was re- 
viewed, and in the afternoon marched about nine or ten 
miles back from Germantown." — Pickering's Journal. 

The Marquis de Lafayette, an eye-witness to the preview, has left us the 
following description in his Memoirs: "About eleven thousand men, ill 
armed, and still worse clothed, presented a strange spectacle to the eye of 
the young Frenchman : their clothes were parti-coloured, and many of them 
were almost naked ; the best clad wore hunting shirts, large grey linen coats 
which were much used in Carolina. As to their military tactics, it will be 
sufficient to say that, for a regiment ranged in order of battle to move for- 
ward on the right of its line, it was necessary for the left to make a con- 
tinued counter march. They were always arranged in two lines, the smallest 
men in the first line ; no other distinction as to height was ever observed. 
In spite of these disadvantages, the soldiers were fine, and the officers zeal- 
ous ; virtue stood in place of science, and each day added both to experience 
and discipline." 

SATUKDAY, AUGUST 9. 

At Schuylkill Falls : " "We have no further account of 
the Enemy's Fleet and and therefore concluding that they 
are gone to the Eastward we have again turned our faces 
that way and shall move slow till we get some account of 
it." — Washington to John Augustine Washington. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 10. 

At the llTeshaminy Camp : " I this minute [nine o'clock 
P.M.] received your favor of this afternoon, transmitting in- 
telligence that a fleet was seen off Sinapuxent on the 7th 
instant. I was about three miles eastward of the Billet 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 83 

tavern [now Hatborougli], on tlie road leading to Coryell's 
Ferry, when the express arrived. The troops are encamped 
near the road, where they will remain till I have further 
accounts of the fleet." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

"Washington's head-quarters at the " Neshaminy Camp," Bucks County, 
Pennsylvania, twenty miles north of Philadelphia, were at a stone house, 
still standing, on the Old York Road near the bridge over the Little Ne- 
shaminy Creek, about half a mile above the village of Hartsville, formerly 
known as the Cross Roads. The army remained at the " Neshaminy Camp" 
until August 23. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13. 

At the ISTeshaminy Camp : " We moved to this place on 
the 10th inst. Here we received the account from Synnepux- 
ent, and remain at fault till some more particular accounts 
of the motions of the enemy enable me to judge of their 
designs." — John Laurens to Henry Laurens. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16. 

At the Neshaminy Camp : " I have your favor of the 14th 
instant. . . The people in the northern army seem so in- 
timidated by the Indians, that I have determined to send 
up Colonel Morgan's corps of riflemen, who will fight them 
in their own way. They will march from Trenton to-mor- 
row morning." — Washington to General Putnam. 

" We have a report from Albany of a Sever action near fort Stanwix 
[battle of Oriskany, August 6], between about Eight hundred Militia 
[under General Nicholas Herkimer] & a party of the Enimy — which lasted 
Six hours — the Enimy were drove oflp the ground & left One hundred & 
Seventy dead — we lost upwards of one hundred men in the action." — 
Putnam to Washington^ Peekskill, August 14. MS. Letter. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20. 

At the !N"eshaminy Camp : " Since the Enemy's fleet was 
seen off Sinepuxent, the 8th Inst, we have no accts from 
them, which can be depended on. I am now of opinion, 
that Charles Town is the present object of General Howe's 



84 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

attention, tliough for what sufficient reason, unless lie ex- 
pected to drag this army after him by appearing at different 
places & thereby leave the Country open for Genl Clinton 
to March out and endeavor to form a Junction with Genl 
Burgoyne, I am at a loss to determine." — Washington to 
General Gates. 

THUKSDAY, AUGUST 21. 

At the Neshaminy Camp : A council of war, in which it 
was decided that, as the enemy's fleet had most probably 
Bailed for Charleston, it was not expedient for the army to 
march southward, and that it should move immediately 
towards the North River. 

The Marquis de Lafayette took part, for the first time, in the council of 
•war convened on this occasion, as major-general, having been commissioned 
July 31. 

TKIDAY, AUGUST 22. 

At the Neshaminy Camp : "I am honored with your 
favor containing the intelligence of the enemy's arrival in 
Chesapeake Bay. ... I have directed General Sullivan to 
join the army with his division as speedily as possible, and 
I have issued orders for all tlie troops here to be in motion 
to-morrow morning very early, with the intention to march 
them towards Philadelphia and onwards." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

" The Commander-in-Chief has the happiness to inform the army of the 
signal victory obtained to the northward. A part of General Burgoyne 's 
army, about 1500 in number, were detached towards New Hampshire, and 
advanced with a design to possess themselves of Bennington. Brigadier- 
general Starke, of the State of New Hampshire, with about 2000 men, 
mostly militia, attacked them [August 16], Our troops behaved in a very 
brave and heroic manner. They pushed the enemy from one work to an- 
other, thrown up on advantageous ground, and from different posts, with 
spirit and fortitude, until they gained a complete victory over them." — 
Orderly Book, August 22. 

SATUEDAY, AUGUST 23. 

At the Neshaminy Camp : " I beg leave to inform you, 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 85 

that the army marclied early this morning, and I expect, 
will encamp this Evening within Five or Six miles of Phila- 
delphia. To-morrow morning it will move again, and I 
think to march It thro the City, but without halting. I am 
induced to do this, from the opinion of Several of my offi- 
cers and many Friends in Philadelphia, that it may have 
Bome influence on the minds of the disaffected there, and 
those who are Dupes to their artifices and opinions." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

The army moved down the Old York Eoad, and encamped for the night 
near the present Nicetown, within five miles of Philadelphia. "Washington 
made his head-quarters at Stenton, the homestead of the Logan family, and 
from which the same evening he issued the following general order: " The 
army is to move precisely at 4 o'clock in the morning, if it should not rain. 
. . . The army is to march in one column through the city of Philadelphia, 
going in at and marching down Front Street to Chestnut, and up Chestnut 
to the Common. A small halt is to be made about a mile this side of the 
city until the rear is clear up and the line in pi-oper order." 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24. 

At Philadelphia : " Last Sunday [August 24] part of the 
Continental army, amounting to about ten thousand men, 
with his excellency general Washington at their head, 
marched through the city, and immediately proceeded over 
the river Schuylkill [at the Middle Ferry, Market Street], 
on their way, it is said, to the eastern shore of Maryland. 
And on Monday morning gen. Nash's brigade of I^. Caro- 
lina forces, and col. Proctor's regiment of artillery, passed 
through the city, who, we hear, are to pursue the same route, 
in order to join our most illustrious general." — Pennsylvania 
Evening Post, August 28, 1777. 

^^ August 24th. — The army marched through the city [Philadelphia], and 
was allowed to make a fine appearance, the order of marching being ex- 
tremely well preserved. We advanced to Derby. — 25th. The army marched 
through Chester to Naaman's Creek, the General and family advancing to 
Wilmington, a pretty town and pleasantly situated." — Pickering's Journal, 

MONDAY, AUGUST 25. 

At Wilmington, Delaware : " Six o'clock p.m. I have just 



86 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

reed information, that the Enemy began to land this morn- 
ing about Six miles below the Head of Elk, opposite to 
Cecil Court-House." — Washington to General Armstrong. 

"On reaching Wilmington [twenty-eight miles southwest from Phila- 
delphia], Washington took up his head-quarters on Quaker Hill, in a house 
which for many years afterwards stood on the west side of West Street, 
midway between Third and Fourth ; the army encamped on the high land 
west of the town, some going as far as Newport, three miles below." — 
Scharf, '« History of Delaware," i. 243. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26. 

At Wilmington: ^'■August 26th. — The General [Wash- 
ington] went with all the horse, save Sheldon's to recon- 
noitre." — Pickering's Journal. 

It was on this reconnoissance that Washington, in consequence of a ter- 
rible storm, passed the night at a farra-house near Gray's hill, two miles 
from the Head of Elk (now Elkton), at the imminent risk of being sur- 
prised by the enemy's scouts ; his only companions being Generals Greene, 
Weedon, and Lafayette. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27. 

At Wilmington: "I this morning returned from the 
Head of Elk, which I left last night." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

' On August 25 the British army under Sir William Howe, eighteen 
thousand strong, landed from the fleet at Turkey Point, at the head of 
Chesapeake Bay, and on the 27th marched to the Head of Elk, eighteen 
miles from Wilmington. From this point Howe issued his " Declaration," 
promising, among other things, pardon to those who had taken an active 
part in the rebellion, provided they should voluntarily return to their 
allegiance. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29. 

At Wilmington : " The enemy advanced a part of their 
Army yesterday to Gray's Hill, about two miles this side of 
Elk." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30. 

At Wilmington : "I was reconnoitring the country and 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 87 

different Roads all yesterday, & am now setting out on tlie 
same business again." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBEK 1. 

At "Wilmington : " General Howe's Declaration is agree- 
able to his constant usage, and is what we might reasonably 
expect. The only difference is, the present exhibition is 
styled a ' Declaration.' It is another effort to seduce the 
people to give up their rights, and to encourage our soldiers 
to desert." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

This "Declaration" was issued on the 27th of August. General Howe 
declared that security and protection would be extended to all persons who 
should remain peaceably at their usual places of abode ; and he promised 
pardon to those who had taken an active part in the rebellion, provided 
they should voluntarily return to their allegiance, and surrender themselves 
to any detachment of the king's forces within a specified time. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER -^ 

At Wilmington : " Eight o'clock p.m. — This morning the 
Enemy came out, with a considerable force and three pieces 
of artillery, against our Light advanced corps, and, after 
some pretty smart skirmishing obliged them to retreat, 
being far inferior in number, and without cannon." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. 

At Wilmington : Issues an order informing the army of 
the intention of the British to possess themselves of Phila- 
delphia, and warning them of the importance of the im- 
pending battle. 

^^ September 6th. — Marched to Newport, three or four miles beyond Wil- 
mington." — Pickering's Journal. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 

At Wilmington : " Since G-eneral Howe's debarkation in 
Elk River he has moved on about seven miles; his main 



88 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

body now lies at Iron Hill, and ours near a village called 
Newport. In this position the armies are from eight to ten 
miles apart." — Washington to General Heath. 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. 

Six miles from Wilmington : " The enemy advanced yes- 
terday with a seeming intention of attacking us upon our 
post near Newport. "We w^aited for them the wliole day ; 
but in the Evening they halted, at a place called Milltown, 
about two miles from us. . . . The army marched at two 
o'clock this morning, and will take post this evening upon 
the high grounds near Chad's Ford." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

" September 9th. — Left Newport in the morning before daylight, and 
marched to Chad's Ford ; crossed it, and encamped on the east side of the 
Brandywine, having information that the enemy had marched far to the 
north of Newport." — Pickering's Journal. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 

At Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania: Head-quarters at the 
house of Benjamin Ring, one mile east of the ford. 

Chadd's Ford, Brandywine Creek, on the heights east of which the main 
strength of the army was posted, commanding the passage of the creek, 
is about thirteen miles north of Wilmington. The battle of the 11th, 
however, was decided three miles to the northward, near Birmingham 
Meeting-House, a large body of British troops under Cornwallis having 
crossed the creek at the upper fords. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. 

At the Battle of Brandywine : " Chester, twelve o'clock at 
Night, 11 September, 1777. — I am sorry to inform you, that, 
in this day's engagement, we have been obliged to leave the 
enemy masters of the field. . . I have directed all the troops 
to assemble behind Chester, where they are now arranging 
for this night. Notwithstanding the misfortunes of the day, 
I am happy to find the troops in good spirits ; and I hope 
another time we shall compensate for the losses now sus- 
tained." — Washington to the President of Congress. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 89 

" The American army assembled to the East of Chester along the Queen's 
Highway, and Washington, after despatching the letter [to Congress] went 
to the present Leiperville, where, still standing on the north of the road, is 
the old stone house, then the home of John Mcllvain, in which the chief 
of the retreating army passed the night after the ill-starred battle of Brandy- 
wine." — Ashmead's History of Delaware County, p. 65. 

FEIDAT, SEPTEMBER 12. 

On the march to Philadelphia : " September 12th. — This 
day the army marched to the Schuylkill, part crossing and 
marching to our old camp by Schuylkill Falls. The enemy 
lay still near the field of battle." — Pickering's Journal. 

" September 13th. — The rest of the army crossed, and the whole collected 
at the old encampment, vast numbers of stragglers coming in." — Pickermg^s 
Journal. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. 

At Schuylkill Falls : Orderly Book.—'' The General, with 
peculiar satisfaction, thanks the gallant officers and soldiers 
who on the 11th inst. bravely fought in their country's 
cause. Although the events of that day, from some unfor- 
tunate circumstances, were not so favorable as could be 
wished, the General has the satisfaction of assuring the 
troops that from every account he has been able to obtain, 
the enemy's loss vastly exceeded ours." 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 

Leaves Schuylkill Falls : " September 14th. — The army 
having yesterday cleaned their arms, and received ammu- 
nition to complete forty rounds a man, this day marched up 
a few miles and recrossed the Schuylkill at Levering's Ford, 
the water being nearly up to the waist. We advanced about 
five or six miles that night." — Pickering's Journal. 

Levering's Ford, on the Schuylkill, was at Green Lane, two miles above 
the Falls, but the crossing was really made at Matson's Ford, now Consho- 
hocken, six miles farther up the stream. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. 

At the Buck Tavern : " Three o'clock, p.m. — "We are 



90 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

moving up this Road [the old Lancaster road] to get between 
the Enemy and Swede's Ford, and to prevent them from 
turning our right flank." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

The Buck Tavern, about nine miles northwest of Philadelphia, on the old 
Lancaster road, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a well-known hostelry of 
its day, is still standing, but occupied as a private house. The army ad- 
vanced the same day thirteen miles farther up the road to a point near the 
junction of the Swede's Ford road, northwest of the Warren Tavern, in 
Chester County, and encamped between that point and the "White Horse 
Tavern, Washington making his head-quarters at the residence of Joseph 
Malin, about half a mile west of the Warren Tavern. The house is still 
standing. 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. 

Is'ear the "White Horse Tavern: "About nine in the 
morning we were informed that the enemy were advancing 
towards us. The troops got under arms, and the baggage 
was sent off. An advance party of the enemy attacked our 
picket, just posted (about three hundred strong), who shame- 
fully fled at the first fire. About this time it began to rain. 
General Scott, with his brigade, was ordered to advance to 
attack this party of the enemy, or skirmish with another 
expected in our front. The rain increased." — Pickering's 
Journal. 

The rain finally turned into such a violent storm that the arms became 
absolutely unfit for use, and orders were given to march to the Yellow 
Springs, a distance of five miles to the northward, where the troops arrived 
about ten o'clock at night. Washington himself is said to have passed the 
night at the Red Lion Tavern (now LionviUe), about three miles from the 
Springs. 

WEDNESDAY, SETEMBER 17. 

At the Yellow Springs, Pennsylvania: "Yesterday the 
enemy moved from Concord, by the Edgemont road toward 
the Lancaster road, with evident design to gain our right 
flank. This obliged us to alter our position and march to 
this place, from whence we intend immediately to proceed 



1777 J ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 91 

to Warwick. "We suffered much from the severe weather 
yesterday and last night, being unavoidably separated from 
our tents and baggage." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

Part of the army marched to Warwick Furnace, on French Creek, eight 
miles north of the Yellow Springs, and about nine miles from the Schuyl- 
kill Eiver, on the 17th, where they were joined by the rest on the following 
day. Warwick Furnace was a depot fur the manufacture and repair of 
guns, and casting of cannon, sixty of which, for the use of the Continental 
army, of twelve- and eighteen-pound calibre, were cast in 1776. 

THUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. 

At "Warwick Furnace : " The Army here is so much 
fatigued that it is impossible I should move them this after- 
noon." — Washington to General Wayne, MS. Letter. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 

At Parker's Ford : " I am now repassing the Schuylkill 
at Parker's Ford [Lawrenceville], with the main body of 
the army, which will be over in an hour or two, though it is 
deep and rapid. . . . As soon as the troops have crossed the 
river, I shall march them as expeditiously as possible towards 
Fatland, Swede's, and the other fords, where it is most 
probable the enemy will attempt to pass." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

The army marched southward from Parker's Ford, on the east side of the 
river, by way of the Trappe (a village on the Reading road, twenty-five 
miles from Philadelphia), as far as Perkiomen Creek, where it encamped. 
" His Excellency General Washington was with the troops in person, who 
marched past here [the Trappe] to the Perkiomen. The procession lasted 
the whole night, and we had numerous visits from oflBcers, wet breast high, 
who had to march in this condition during the whole night, cold and damp 
as it was, and to bear hunger and thirst at the same time." — Muhlenberg^ s 
Journal, September 19, 1777. 

On the 21st, the enemy having moved rapidly up the road on the west 
side of the Schuylkill towards Reading, a depot of supplies, Washington 
marched the troops to within four miles of Pottsgrove (now Pottstown), 
eight miles above the Trappe. Here he remained until the 26th, when he 
moved to Pennybacker's Mills, on the Perkiomen, nine miles to the east- 
ward. 



92 ITiyERARV OF GEXEEAL WASHIXGTOX. [1777 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. 

At Pottsgrove : " The distressed situation of the army for 
want of blankets, and manv necessary articles of cloathing, 
is truly deplorable : and must inevitably be desti'uctive to it, 
unless a speedy remedy be applied." — ^Va^hington to Alexan- 
der Samilton, 

"While the army lay near Pottsgrove (now Pottstown), Washington is 
said to have made his head-quarters at the "Potts Mansion," erected in 
1753 by John Potts, the founder of the town. The house, a notable build- 
ing of the day, is now occupied a» a hotel. 

TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 23. 

At Pottsgrove : '• The Enemy by a variety of perplexing 
manceuvres through a Country from which I could not 
derive the least intelligence (being to a man disaffected), 
contrived to pass the Schuylkill last night at the Patland 
[half a mile below Valley Forge], and other fords in the 
neighborhood of it. They marched immediately towards 
Philadelphia, and I imagine their advanced parties will be 
near the City to-night. . . Messieurs Carroll, Chase, and 
Penn, who were some days with the army, can inform Con- 
gress in how deplorable a situation the Troops are, for want 
of that necessary article [shoes]. At least one thousand 
men are bare-footed, and have performed the marches in 
that condition." — Washington to the P)-esident of Coiigi-ess. 

" September 26th, 1777. — At half past eight this morning Lord Com- 
wallis with the two Battalions of British Grenadiers and Hessian Grenadiers, 
two squadrons of Sixteenth dragoons and artillery with the Chief-Engineer, 
Commanding officer of Artillery, Quartermaster and Adjutant-General 
marched and took possession of the city of Philadelphia at 10 the same 
morning amidst the acclamation of some thousands of the inhabitants 
mostly women and children." — Journal of Captain John Moniresor, Chief- 
Engineer of the British Army, "Pennsylvania Magazine",vi. 41. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. 

At Pottsgrove : '' To-day it rains. To-morrow morning, 
at nine o'clock we march and join MeDougall. Pretty 
soon, I imagine, we shall proceed to attack the enemy, if 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 93 

their post is practicable." — Colonel Pickerirui to John Picker- 
ing. 

FKIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. 

At Pottsgrove : " "We shall move towards Philadelphia 
to-day, as the weather is fair and our reinforcements are at 
some distance below, ready to fall in with us." — John Laurens 
to Henry Laurens. 

" We are now in motion, and advancing to form a junction with Genl. 
McDougall. 1 expect to be joined in a day or two by Grenl. Foreman, with 
fourteen or fifteen hundred Jersey militia." — Washington to Elbridge Gerry, 
September 26. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. 

At Pennybacker's Mills : " You are hereby authorized to 
impress all the Blankets, Shoes, Stockings and other Arti- 
cles of Clothing that can be spared by the Inhabitants of the 
County of Lancaster for the Use of the Continental Army, 
paying for the same at reasonable Eates or giving Certifi- 
cates." — Washington to William Henry ^ Lancaster, MS. Letter. 

Washington reached Pennybacker's (formerly Pauling's) Mills, now 
Schwenksville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 
making his head-quarters at the house of Samuel Pennybacker, the owner 
of the mills. The house, a two-story stone building, is still standing. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. 

At Pennybacker's Mills : Orderly Book. — " The Com- 
mander-in-Chief has the happiness again to congratulate the 
army on the success of the Americans to the Xorthward. 
On the 19th inst. an engagement took place [at Stillwater, 
New York] between General Burgoyne's army and the left 
wing of ours, under General Gates. The battle began at 
10 o'clock, and lasted till night — our troops fighting with 
the greatest bravery, not giving an inch of ground. . . To 
celebrate this success the General orders that at 4 o'clock 
this afternoon all the troops be paraded and served with a 



94 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

gill of rum per man, and that at the same time there be 
discharges of 13 pieces of artillery from the park." 

At a council of war held this day, the Continental force was thus outlined 
by Washington: McDougall, with about nine hundred men, had joined the 
army ; Smallwood had also come in with about eleven hundred of the Mary- 
land militia ; Forman, with about six hundred of the Jersey militia, was on 
the Skippack road, and near the main body. The number of Continental 
troops in camp, fit for duty, exclusive of the detachment under McDougall, 
and that under Wayne at the Trappe, was five thousand four hundred and 
seventy-two, to which was to be added Maxwell's light corps (about four 
hundred and fifty), and the Pennsylvania militia under Armstrong. Upon 
the whole the army would consist of about eight thousand Continental 
troops rank and file, and three thousand militia. The Council decided 
against an immediate attack on the enemy, and that the army should move 
to a proper camp about twelve miles from them to await reinforcements and 
a more fitting opportunity to attack. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. 

At Pennybacker's Mills : " I shall move the Army four 
or five miles lower down to day, from whence we may rec- 
onnoitre and fix upon a proper situation, at such distance 
from the Enemy, as will entitle us to make an attack, should 
we see a proper opening, or stand upon the defensive till we 
obtain further reinforcements. This was the opinion of a 
majority of a Council of General oflicers which I called 
yesterday." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

" September 29th. — We marched from Pennybacker's Mills down to 
Skippack, within about twenty-five miles from Philadelphia." — Pickering's 
Journal. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1. 

At Skippack : " I hope that a little time and perseverance 
will give us some favorable opportunity of recovering our 
loss, and of putting our affairs in a more flourishing condi- 
tion. Our army has now had the rest and refreshment it 
stood in need of, and our soldiers are in very good spirits." 
— Washington to Governor Trumbull. 

" October 2d. — The [army] marched about five miles farther down on the 
Skippack road to Worcester Township." — Pickering's Journal. 
It was from this point, " Methacton Hill," that the army started, at 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 95 

seven o'clock on the evening of October 3, to attack the enemy at German- 
town. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3. 

At Worcester : " Since my letter of the 29th. no favor- 
able change has taken place in our affairs ; on the contrary, 
we have sustained an additional loss in the capture of the 
Delaware." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

The frigate Delaware, of Commodore Hazlewood's fleet on the river 
Delaware, in conjunction with the frigate Montgomery, each of twenty- 
four guns, the sloop Fly, and several galleys and gondolas, began a cannon- 
ade on the morning of September 27th, against the batteries in course of 
erection by the British in front of Philadelphia. On the falling of the tide 
the Delaware grounded. In this disabled condition the guns from the 
batteries soon compelled her colors to be struck, and she was taken by the 
enemy, 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4. 

At the Battle of Germantown : " In the midst of the most 
promising appearances, when every thing gave the most 
flattering hopes of victory, the troops began suddenly to 
retreat, and entirely left the field, in spite of every effort 
that could be made to rally them." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress^ October 5. 

"After the army were all retreating, I expected they would have re- 
turned to their last encampment, about twelve or thirteen miles from the 
enemy at Germantown ; but the retreat was continued upwards of twenty 
miles ; so that all those men, who retired so far, this day marched upwards 
of thirty miles without rest, besides being up all the preceding night with- 
out sleep." — Pickering's Journal, 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5. 

At Pennybacker's Mills ; " October 5th. — This day and 
the following the stragglers had generally joined the army 
over Perkiomen Creek. After remaining here a few days, 
the army removed to Towamensing Township." — Pickering's 
Journal. 



96 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

" The Commander-in-Chief returns his thanks to the generals and other 
officers and men concerned in the attack on the enemy's left wing, for their 
spirit and bravery, shown in driving the enemy from field to field, and 
although an unfortunate fog, joined with the smoke, prevented the diflTerent 
brigades from seeing and supporting each other, or sometimes even from 
distinguishing their fire from the enemy's, and some other causes, which as 
yet cannot be accounted for, they finally retreated, they nevertheless see 
that the enemy is not proof against a vigorous attack, and may be put to 
flight when boldly pursued." — Orderly Book, October 5. 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6. 

At Pennybacker's Mills : " Camp near PerUoming Creek, 
6th October 1777. — Since the action we have received a 
considerable reinforcement from Virginia, and our excellent 
General Washington has collected his force at the place 
from whence I date this letter, and intends soon to try 
another bout with them. All our men are in good spirits 
and I think grow fonder of fighting the more they have of 
it." — Letter in the Continental Journal, October 30. 

" Our men are in the highest spirits, and ardently desire another trial. 
I know of no ill consequences that can follow the late action ; on the con- 
trary, we have gained considerable experience, and our army have a certain 
proof that the British troops are vulnerable." — General Knox to Artemas 
Ward, October 7. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7. 

At Pennybacker's Mills : " My intention is to encamp the 
army at some suitable place to rest and refresh the men, 
and recover them from the still remaining effects of that 
disorder naturally attendant on a retreat." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

On this day Washington received a committee of six prominent Friends, 
appointed by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to visit " William Howe, 
General of the British Army, and George Washington, General of the 
American Army," for the purpose of presenting them the Society's "testi- 
mony" against war, and of explaining the position the Friends occupied as 
non-resistants, conscientiously restrained from bearing arms on either side. 
Committee : Samuel Emlen, William Brown, Joshua Morris, James Thorn- 
ton, Warner Mifiiin, and Nicholas Wain. The committee were kindly 
entertained by the Commander-in-Chief, after which he sent them to Potts- 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 97 

grove, to remain a few days, in order that, should they be exposed to 
British questioning, on their return to Philadelphia, they could make the 
reply that it had been some time since they left head-quarters. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8. 

At Pennybacker's Mills : " The army here marches this 
morning, from hence to the Baptist Meeting House in 
Montgomery [Towamencin] Township." — Washington to 
General Varnum. 

The Baptist or Mennonite Meeting-House referred to in the letter to Gen- 
eral Varnum is on the Sumneytown road, in Towamencin Township, near 
Kulpsville, three miles northeast of the Skippack road, and twenty-six from 
Philadelphia. The burial-ground attached thereto contains the remains of 
General Nash, of North Carolina, and other officers, wounded at the battle 
of Germantown, and who died in this vicinity. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9. 

At Towamencin : Orderly Book. — " Brigadier-general 
iNash will be interred at 10 o'clock this forenoon, with mili- 
tary honors, at the place where the road where the troops 
marched on yesterday comes into the great road. All 
officers, whose circumstances will admit of it, will attend 
and pay this respect to a brave man who died in defence of 
his country." 

Washington's head-quarters at Towamencin were at the farm-house of 
Frederick Wampole, about a mile above Kulpsville, and half a mile north 
of the Mennonite Meeting-House. The house was taken down in 1881. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11. 

At Towamencin : Orderly Book. — " The Commr in Chief 
has the pleasure to inform the army that Congress has in 
an unanimous Resolve express'd their thanks to the Officers 
and Men, concern'd in the attack on the Enemy near Ger- 
mantown on the 4th Inst, for their brave exertions on that 
Occasion, and hopes the approbation of that Honble Body 
will stimulate them to still nobler Effi)rts on every future 
Occasion." 

8 



98 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13. 

At Towamencin : " With regard to the army 'tis in good 
spirits, and reenforced, since the last action, by the arrival 
of some troops from Peekskill [under General Varnum], 
and five regiments of militia from Virginia, and one regi- 
ment from Virginia well disciplined, being the State regi- 
ment. But Pennsylvania, from which we ought to have the 
largest reenforcements of militia, has now but about twelve 
hundred men in the field; whereas they should have as 
many thousand, if needed." — Colonel Pickering to Mrs. Pick- 
ering. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15. 

At Towamencin ; Orderly Booh — " The General has the 
repeated pleasure of informing the army of the success of 
the troops under the command of General Gates over Gen- 
eral Burgoyne's army on the 7th inst. [the second battle of 
Stillwater]. The action commenced at three o'clock in the 
afternoon, between the pickets of the two armies, which 
were reinforced on both sides. The contest was warm, and 
continued till night with obstinacy, when our troops gained 
the advanced lines of the enemy, and encamped on that 
ground all night." 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16. 

At Worcester : " We moved this morning from the en- 
campment at which we had been for six or seven days past, 
and are just arrived at the grounds we occupied before the 
action of the 4th. One motive for coming here is to divert 
the enemy's attention and force from the forts [on the Dela- 
ware]." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

At Worcester, head-quarters were at the house of Peter Wentz, still 
standing on the road from Centre Point to Heebnersville, three-fourths of a 
mile from the former place and one mile and a quarter from the latter. The 
house, a substantial two-story stone building, was erected in 1768. Since 
1794, the property has been in possession of the Schultz family. 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 99 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18. 

At "Worcester : Orderly Book. — " The General has his 
happiness completed relative to the successes of the ITorthern 
army. On the 14th instant General Bargoyne and his whole 
army surrendered themselves prisoners of war. Let every 
face brighten, and every heart expand with gratefal joy and 
praise to the Supreme Disposer of all events, who has 
granted us this signal success. The chaplains of the army 
are to prepare short discourses, suited to the occasion, to 
deliver to their several corps and brigades at five o'clock 
this afternoon." 

This order was based on a despatch received from Governor Clinton, dated 
Albany, October 15, 1777 : " Last night at 8 o'clock the capitulation whereby 
General Burgoyne & whole Army surrendered themselves Prisoners of "War, 
was signed and this Morning they have to march out towds. the River, above 
Fish Creek with the Honours of War (and there ground their Arms) they 
are from thence to be marched to Massachusetts bay." Negotiations for the 
surrender were commenced on the 14th, but the articles of the " Convention 
between Lieutenant-general Burgoyne and Major-general Gates" were not 
signed by Burgoyne until the morning of the 17th of October. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19. 

At Worcester : " The defeat of General Burgoyne is a 
most important event, and such as must afford the highest 
satisfaction to every well-affected American. Should Provi- 
dence be pleased to crown our arms in the course of the 
campaign with one more fortunate stroke, I think we shall 
have no great cause for anxiety respecting the future designs 
of Britain." — Washington to General Putnam. 

" Last Sunday [October 19] the enemy entirely evacuated Germantown, 
and retired near Philadelphia, encamping round about the city, within a 
circuit of a mile or a mile and a half from it; and, to secure this camp 
they have thrown up a number of breastworks or redoubts. This will 
render an attack upon them difficult." — Colonel Pickering to Mrs. Pickering, 
October 20. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21. 

At Whitpain : " October 21 st. — The army moved lower 



100 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

down to "Whitpain Township, within fifteen miles of Phila- 
delphia. Head-quarters at Mr. Morris's." — Pickering's Jour- 
nal. 

"Washington's head-quarters at Whitpain were at the house of James 
Morris, between the Skippack and Morris roads, and about one mile west 
of the present village of Ambler. The original building, a solid stone 
structure, erected in 1736 by Abraham Dawes, father of Mrs. Morris, was 
enlarged in 1785, and in 1821 the present south wing was added, when the 
front, which had been south, was changed to the west. The property, con- 
taining over two hundred acres (originally three hundred and fifty), now 
called " Dawesfield," is still in the family, the present owner, Mrs. Saun- 
ders Lewis, of Philadelphia, being a great-granddaughter of Abraham 
Dawes. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24. 

At Whitpain: "Whereas sundry Soldiers belonging to 
the armies of the United States have deserted from the 
same ; These are to make known to all those who have so 
oftended, and who shall return to their respective corps, or 
surrender themselves to the Officers appointed to receive 
recruits and deserters in their several States, or to any 
Continental Commissioned Officer, before the first day of 
•January next, that they shall obtain a full and free pardon." 
— Proclamation. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25. 

At Whitpain : Orderly Book. — " The Gen^ again Con- 
gratulates our Troops on the success of our arms. On 
Wednesday last [October 22] a Body of about 1200 Hessians 
under the Command of Count Donop made an attack on 
Fort Mercer at Red Bank, and after an action of 40 Minutes 
were repulsed with great loss. Count Donop himself is 
wounded and taken prisoner together with his Brigade 
Major and about 100 other officers and soldiers, and about 
100 were left dead on the Fields, and as they carried off 
many of their wounded their whole loss is probably at least 
400— our loss was trifling, the killed and wounded amount- 
ing only to about 32." 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 101 

On the 23d of October, the day after the gallant defence of Fort Mercer, 
the British frigate Augusta, of sixty-four guns, the Eoebuck, of forty-four 
guns, and the Merlin, of eighteen guns, came up as near as they could to the 
upper chevaux-de-frise on the Delaware, at Fort Mifflin, when a furious en- 
gagement ensued between them and the galleys and floating batteries of the 
Pennsylvania fleet. About twelve o'clock the Augusta blew up, and at 
three o'clock the Merlin took flre and also blew up. The Koebuck dropped 
down the river and passed below the chevaux-de-frise at Billingsport. 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27. 

At Whitpain : " The Northern army, before the surrender 
of General Burgoyne, was reenforced by upwards of 1200i5 
Militia who shut the only door by which Burgoyne could 
Retreat, and cut off all his supplies. How different our 
case ! the disaffection of a greater part of the Inhabitants 
of this State — the languor of others, & internal distraction 
of the whole, have been among the great and insuperable 
difficulties I have met with, and have contributed not a 
little to my embarassments this Campaign." — Washington to 
Landon Carter. 

" It is a matter of astonishment to every part of the continent, to hear 
that Pennsylvania, the most opulent and populous of all the States, has but 
twelve hundred militia in the field, at a time when the enemy are en- 
deavouring to make themselves completely masters of, and to fix their 
winter quarters in, her capital." — Washington to Thomas Wharton, October 
17. 

"WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29. 

At Whitpain : A council of war, at which it was decided 
not to be advisable to make an attack upon Philadelphia ; 
that the army should take a position to the left of its pres- 
ent station, and that twenty regiments should be drawn 
from the northern army. 

To the council General Washington made the following report as to the 
strength of the two armies. That the troops under Sir William Howe pres- 
ent and fit for duty amounted, according to the best intelligence he could 
obtain, to ten thousand rank and file, stationed at Philadelphia and its im- 
mediate vicinity ; and that the force under his command, present and fit for 
duty, was eight thousand three hundred and thirteen Continental troops, 
and two thousand seven hundred and seventeen militia. There were, in 



i 



102 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

addition, seven hundred and fifty Continental troops at Ked Bank and Fort 
Mifflin, and a detachment of three hundred militia on their way to reinforce 
those posts. A body of five hundred militia under General Potter was like- 
wise on the other side of the Schuylkill. 

THUKSDAY, OCTOBER 30. 

At "Whitpain : A general court-martial, of which General 
Sullivan was President, was held at the Whitpain head- 
quarters, the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 30th of October, for the 
trial of Brigadier-General "Wayne, on the following charge : 

" That he had timely notice of the enemy's intention, to 
attack the troops under his command, on the night of the 
20th of Sept. last [at Paoli], and notwithstanding that intel- 
ligence, neglected making a disposition, until it was too 
late either to annoy the enemy, or make retreat, without 
the utmost danger and confusion. 

" The Court, having fully considered the charge against 
Brigadier Gen^ Wayne, and the evidence produced to them, 
are unanimously of opinion that Gen^ Wayne is not guilty 
of the charge exhibited against him, but that he, on the 
night of the 20th Ultimo, (that is of Sej^f last) did every- 
thing that could be expected from an active, brave, and 
vigilant officer, under the orders he then. had. The Court 
do acquit him with the highest honor." 

"The Commander in chief approves the Sentence." — 
Orderly Book, November 1. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 

At Whitpain : " At the request of Governor Clinton, I 
have transmitted a copy of his letter to me, giving an ac- 
count of General Vaughan's expedition up the ITorth River 
after the capture of Fort Montgomery, and of the destruc- 
tion committed by his troops in burning Kingston and the 
houses and mills on the river." — Washington to the President 
of Congress. 

Fort Montgomery, one of the early fortifications of the Hudson High- 
lands, finished in the spring of 1776, was about six miles above Stony 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 103 

Point. It stood on a promontory on the upper side of a creek (Poplopen 
Kill), to the south of which was Fort Clinton. Both of these forts, taken 
by Sir Henry Clinton, October 6, were abandoned by order of General Howe 
on the 26th. 

After removing the chevaux-de-frise at Fort Montgomery, the British 
passed up the river with several armed vessels commanded by Sir James 
Wallace, and a body of troops under General Vaughan. They burnt such 
shipping as they found in the river, and also houses and mills on the shore, 
and on the 15th of October, led on by General Vaughan himself, set fire to 
the village of Kingston. So complete was the destruction, that not mora 
than one house escaped the flames. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2. 

At Whitemarsh : ^'■November 2d. — The army marclied to 
Whitemarsh, about thirteen miles from Philadelphia." — 
Pickering's Journal. 

Washington's head-quarters at Whitemarsh were at a large stone house, 
still standing, about one-half a mile east from Camp Hill Station on the 
North Pennsylvania Railroad, and twelve miles north of Philadelphia. 
The house, which faces south, is two and a half stories in height, eighty feet 
front and twenty-seven feet in depth ; it was modernized in 1854, and a 
large wing, originally the dining hall, removed from the west end. Enough 
remains, however, of the old building, and is known about it, to determine 
the accuracy of the statement made by Lossing in 1848 {Field-Book, ii. 
114), that, " at the time of the Revolution, it was a sort of baronial hall in 
size and character when Elmar [Emlen], its wealthy owner, dispensed hos- 
pitality to all who came under its roof." The house with ninety-two acres 
is now (since 1857) owned and occupied^by Charles T. Aiman. Camp Hill, 
on which part of the left wing of the army was posted, is directly in the 
rear of the house. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4. 

At Whitemarsh : " Head-quarters at George JEmlen's, near 
Whitemarsh Church. — We expect very soon a large rein- 
forcement from the northern army ; in the mean time the 
General has moved to this camp, which though naturally 
pretty strong, he is strengthening." — Joseph Heed to Thomas 
Wharton, November 4. 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5. 

At Whitemarsh: "This morning a heavy cannonading 



104 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

was heard from below [on the Delaware] and continued till 
afternoon ; from the top of Chew's house in German Town 
to which place the General [Washington] took a ride this 
morning, we could discover nothing more than thick clouds 
of smoak, and the masts of two vessels, the weather being 
very hazy." — John Laurens to Henry Laurens. 

" November 7. — The cannonading heard day before yesterday was between 
the Somerset 64 Gun Ship, the Koebuck and some other vessel on the one 
part, and our row-galiies seconded by a two gun battery on the other." — 
John Laurens to Henry Laurens. 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7. 

At Whitemarsh : Orderly Book. — " Since the General left 
Germantown [Schuylkill Falls] in the middle of September 
last, he has been without his baggage, and on that account 
is unable to receive company in the manner he could wish. 
He nevertheless desires the Generals, Field Officers and 
Brigade-Major of the day, to dine with him in the fature, 
at three o'clock in the afternoon." 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 

At Whitemarsh : " A letter, which I received last night 
[from Lord Stirling], contained the following paragraph. 
' In a letter from General Conway to General Gates he says, 
" Heaven has been determined to save your country or a weak 
General and bad counsellors would have ruined it." "' — Wash- 
ington to General Conway. 

This brief note is the earliest public record bearing on the subject of the 
conspiracy to displace Washington from the command of the army, known 
as the Conway Cabal, The particulars respecting this cabal will be found 
fully set forth by Sparks, v. 483. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13. 

At Whitemarsh : " The army which I have had under my 
immediate command, has not, at any one time since General 
Howe's landing at the Head of Elk, been equal in point of 
numbers to his. . . How different the case in the northern 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 105 

department! There the States of New York and New 
England, resolving to crush Burgoyne, continued pouring 
in their troops, till the surrender of that army ; at which 
time not less than fourteen thousand militia, as I have been 
informed, were actually in General Gates' camp, and those 
composed, for the most part, of the best yeomanry in the 
country, well armed, and in many instances supplied with 
provisions of their own carrying." — Washington to Patrick 
Henry. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17. 

At Whitemarsh : " I am sorry to inform you that Fort 
Mifflin [on the Delaware] was evacuated the night before 
last, after a defence which does credit to the American arms, 
and will ever reflect the highest honor upon the officers and 
men of the garrison." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

As the Pennsylvania fleet under Commodore Hazlewood could be of no 
further use after the evacuation of Fort Mifflin, it was decided to send the 
vessels up the Delaware to Burlington, New Jersey. The attempt was made 
on the night of November 19, and thirteen galleys and twelve armed boats 
succeeded in getting past the batteries at the city. The following night, one 
sloop, some ammunition-craft, and others with cannon, made their way up. 
Ten other vessels, unable to escape, were set on fire at Gloucester Point, and 
abandoned. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22. 

At Whitemarsh : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief offers a reward of ten dollars to any person, who shall 
by nine o'clock on Monday morning produce the best sub- 
Btitute for shoes, made of raw hides." 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23. 

At Whitemarsh : " I am sorry to inform Congress, that 
the enemy are now in possession of all the water defences 
[on the Delaware]. . . . The garrison [of Fort Mercer, at 
Red Bank] was obliged to evacuate it on the night of the 
20th instant, on the approach of Lord Cornwallis, who had 



106 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

crossed the river from Chester with a detachment, supposed 
to be about two thousand men, and formed a junction with 
the troops lately arrived from New York, and those that 
had been landed before at Billingsport." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

The loss of Forts Mifflin and Mercer ended the defence of the Delaware. 
The obstructions in the river were removed, and the enemy had full posses- 
sion of Philadelphia. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24. 

At Whitemarsh : A council of war held to consider the 
expediency of an attack on the enemy's lines at Philadelphia. 

The Council adjourned without coming to a deoision, and the Commander- 
in-Chief, despatching a special messenger to General Greene, then at Mount 
Holly, New Jersey, required of the other officers their written opinions. On 
comparing them, eleven were found against making the attack, and four 
only, Stirling, Wayne, Scott, and Woodford, in its favor. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25. 

At Whitemarsh : " Col° Meade delivered me Yours this 
Morning as I was on my w^ay to reconnoitre the Enemy's 
Lines from the West side of Schuylkill. I had a full view 
of their left and found their works much stronger than I 
had reason to expect from the Accounts I had received." — 
Washington to General Greene. 

" Our Commander-in-chief wishing ardently to gratify the public expecta- 
tion by making an attack upon the enemy — yet preferring at the same time 
a loss of popularity to engaging in an enterprise which he could not justify 
to his own conscience and the more respectable part of his constituents, went 
yesterday [November 25] to view the works. A clear sunshine favoured 
our observations : we saw redoubts of a very respectable profit, faced with 
plank, formidably fraised, and the intervals between them closed with an 
abattis unusually strong. General du Portail declared that in such works 
with five thousand men he would bid defiance to any force that should be 
brought against him." — John Laurens to Henry Laurens^ November 26. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30. 

At Whitemarsh : A council of war held to consider a 
proper place for winter-quarters. 'Eo decision being arrived 
at by the board, Washington finally determined to establish 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 107 

a fortified encampment at Valley Forge, on the west side 
of the Schuylkill River. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBEE 2. 

At "Whitemarsh : " General Howe has withdrawn himself 
close within his lines, which extend from the Upper Ferry 
upon the Schuylkill [Callowhill Street] to Kensington upon 
the Delaware ; they consist of a chain of strong redoubts 
connected by abatis. We have reconnoitred them well, but 
find it impossible to attack them while defended by a force 
fully equal to our own in Continental troops." — Washington 
to General Gates. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10. 

At Whitemarsh: "In the course of last week, from a 
variety of intelligence, I had reason to expect that General 
Howe was preparing to give us a general action. Accord- 
ingly, on Thursday night [December 4] he moved from the 
city with all his force, except a very inconsiderable part left 
in his lines and redoubts, and appeared the next morning 
on Chestnut Hill, in front of, and about three miles distant 
from, our right wing. As soon as their position was dis- 
covered, the Pennsylvania militia were ordered from our 
right, to skirmish with their light advanced parties ; and I 
am sorry to mention, that Brigadier-General Irvine, who led 
them on, had the misfortune to be wounded and to be made 
prisoner. N^othing more occurred on that day. On Friday 
night [December 5] the enemy changed their ground, and' 
moved to our left, within a mile of our line, where they re- 
mained quiet and advantageously posted the whole of next 
day. On Sunday [December 7] they inclined still further 
to our left ; and, from every appearance, there was reason 
to apprehend they were determined on an action." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress. 

In the movement of Sunday, the 7th, the enemy's advanced and flanking 
parties were warmly attacked by Colonel Morgan and his corps, and also by 



108 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

the Maryland militia under Colonel Gist, but about sunset, after various 
marches and countermarches, they halted for the night. Howe was afraid 
to assail Washington, and on the afternoon of Monday, the 8th, he changed 
front, and by two or three routes marched his army back to Philadelphia. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11. 

Leaves "Whitemarsh : "December 11th. — At four o'clock 
the Whole Army were Order'd to March to Sweeds Ford 
[Norristown], on the River Schuylkill, about 9 miles ]^.W. 
of Chestnut Hill, and 6 from "White Marsh our present En- 
campment. At sun an hour high the whole were mov'd 
from the Lines and on their march with baggage. This 
Night encamped in a Semi Circle nigh the Ford." — Diary 
of Albigence Waldo, " Historical Magazine," v. 129. 

^'■December 12th. — A Bridge of Waggons made across the Schuylkill last 
night consisting of 36 waggons, with a bridge of Rails between each. Sun 
Set. — We are order'd to march over the River. The army were 'till Sun 
Rise crossing the River — some at the Waggon Bridge, & some at the Raft 
Bridge below. Cold & Uncomfortable." — Diary of Albigence Waldo. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12. 

At Swede's Ford : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief, with great pleasure, expresses his approbation of the 
behavior of the Pennsylvania Militia yesterday, under Gen- 
eral Potter, on the vigorous opposition they made to a body 
of the enemy on the other side of the Schuylkill." 

" On Thursday morning we marched from our old encampment, and in- 
tended to pass the Schuylkill at Madison's [Matson's] Ford, where a bridge 
had been laid across the river. When the first division and a part of the 
second had passed, they found a body of the enemy, consisting from the 
best accounts we have been able to obtain, of four thousand men, under 
Lord Cornwallis, possessing themselves of the heights on both sides of the 
road leading from the river and the defile called the Gulf. This unexpected 
event obliged such of our troops, as had crossed, to repass, and prevented 
our getting over till the succeeding night. . . They were met in their ad- 
vance by General Potter, with part of the Pennsylvania militia, who be- 
haved with bravery and gave them every possible opposition, till he was 
obliged to retreat from their superior numbers." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress, December 14. 

In consequence of this movement of the British, who were on a foraging 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 109 

expedition, the troops were ordered to march to Swede's Ford, three miles 
higher up the river, where they crossed on the night of the 12th. Lord 
Cornwallis, having collected a good deal of forage, returned to Philadelphia 
on the night of the 11th. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

At the Gulf Mill : ^^December 13th. — The Army march'd 
three miles from the "West side of the River [Swedes Ford], 
and encamp'd near a place called the Gulph and not an im- 
proper name either. For this Gulph seems well adapted 
by its situation to keep us from the pleasure & enjoyments 
of this world, or being conversant with any body in it." — 
Diary of Albigence Waldo. 

The Gulf Mill, a substantial stone building, erected in 1747, and still 
standing, is situated at the intersection of the Gulf road with Gulf Creek, 
which empties into the Schuylkill at West Conshohocken, the Matson's 
Ford of the Revolution. What is understood as the Gulf is where the creek 
passes through the Gulf Hill, and to effect a passage has cleft it to the base. 
The mill, near which Washington had his head-quarters until December 
19,* is about a mile and a half west of the river, and between six and seven 
miles from Valley Forge. 

The movements of the army after the battle of Germantown had been 
entirely in what was then Philadelphia County, now (since 1784) Mont- 
gomery County, Pennsylvania, the townships or districts mentioned in the 
" Itinerary" being the same as at present, although not so clearly defined as 
to boundaries. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15. 

At the Gulf Mill : " The army cross'd the Schuylkill on 
the 13th and has remained encamped on the heights on this 
side. Our truly republican general has declared to his offi- 
cers that he will set the example of passing the winter in a 
hut himself. The precise position is not as yet fixed upon, 

* Tradition points to a house which stood about one mile north of the 
Gulf Mill, and half a mile east of the road, as having been Washington's 
head-quarters. It was known as " Walnut Grove," the residence of Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Isaac Hughes, Pennsylvania Militia, built prior to 1743 by 
his father, John Hughes, stamp oflScer. The house, which was a notable 
building of the day, was taken down about twenty-five years ago. 



110 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

in which our huts are to be constructed ; it will probably be 
determined this day." — John Laurens to Henry Laurens. 

"December 16th. — Cold Eainy Day — Baggage ordered over the Gulph, of 
our Division, which were to march at Ten — but the baggage was order'd 
"back and for the first time since we have been here the Tents were pitch 'd 
to keep the men more comfortable." — Diary of Albigenee Waldo. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17. 

At the Gulf Mill : Orderly Book.—" The Commander in 
Chief, with the highest satisfaction, expresses his thanks to 
the officers and soldiers for the fortitude and patience with 
which they have sustained the fatigue of the campaign. 
Although, in some instances [we] unfortunately, failed ; 
yet upon the whole Heaven hath smiled upon our arms and 
crowned them with signal success ; and we may upon the 
best grounds conclude, that, by a spirited continuance of 
the measures necessary for our defence, we shall finally 
obtain the end of our warfare, Independence, Liberty, and 
Peace." 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18. 

At the Gulf Mill: This day having been set apart by 
Congress for public thanksgiving and prayer, the army re- 
mained in its quarters, and the chaplains performed service 
with their several corps and brigades. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19. 

At Valley Forge : "December 19th. — The camp moved to 
near the Valley Forge, where we immediately struck up 
temporary huts covered with leaves. In a few days we 
began the building of our log huts." — Diary of Joseph 
Clark, " Proceedings New Jersey Hist. Soc," vii. 103. 

In general orders of December 18, Washington gave explicit directions 
for constructing the huts. He ordered the colonels or commanding officers 
of regiments to cause their men to be divided into parties of twelve, and 
gee that each party had its proportion of tools, and commence a hut for that 
number ; and, as an encouragement to industry and art, the general prom- 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. Ill 

ised to reward the party in each regiment which finished its hut in the 
quickest and most workmanlike manner, with a present of twelve dollars. 
He also offered a reward of one hundred dollars to the officer or soldier who 
should substitute a covering for the huts, cheaper and more quickly made 
than boards. The exact dimensions and style of the huts were also care- 
fully set forth. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBEE 20. 

At Yalley Forge : Orderly Book. — " The army being now 
come to a fixed station, the Brigadiers and officers com- 
manding brigades, are immediately to take effectual meas- 
ures to collect and bring to camp all the officers and soldiers 
at present scattered about the country." 

Valley Forge is situated in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on the 
west side of the Schuylkill River, about twenty-two miles northwest of 
Philadelphia. Upon the hills surrounding the valley, then partly in Phil- 
adelphia (now Montgomery) County and partly in Chester County, "Wash- 
ington established the winter-quarters of the army, occupying his marquee 
until the huts were completed. When the men were comfortably settled, 
the Commander-in-Chief took up his own quarters in the village, at the P 
small two-story stone house of Isaac Potts, near the mouth of Valley Creek. 
The house, which is still standing, was purchased in 1879, together with two 
and one-half acres of land, by an association entitled the "Centennial and 
Memorial Association of Valley Forge," organized and incorporated for 
the purpose of preserving it as Washington's head-quarters. Quite re- 
cently an additional acre and a half have been purchased, making altogether 
four acres of land immediately contiguous and pertaining to the Valley 
FoKQE Head-quarters. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21. 

At Valley Forge : Orderly Book. — " The General con- 
gratulates the army, on the arrival of a French Ship, at 
Portsmouth, with 48 brass cannon — 4 pounders, with car- 
riages complete — 19 nine Inch mortars — 2500 nine inch 
bombs — 2000, four pound ball — entrenching tools — 4100 
stands of arms — a quantity of powder — and 61.051 lbs. of 
sulphur." 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22. 

At Valley Forge : " It is with infinite pain and concern, 



112 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1777 

that I transmit to Congress the enclosed copies of sundry 
letters respecting the state of the commissary's department. 
In these matters are not exaggerated." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

These letters were from Generals Huntington and Varnum. The latter 
used the following language: "Three days successively we have been des- 
titute of bread. Two days we have been entirely without meat. The men 
must be supplied, or they cannot be commanded." 

TUESDAY, DECEMBEK 23. 

At Valley Forge : " I am now convinced beyond a doubt, 
that, unless some great and capital change suddenly takes 
place in that line [the commissary's department], this army 
must inevitably be reduced to one or other of these three 
things ; starve, dissolve, or disperse in order to obtain sub- 
sistence in the best manner they can." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

Notwithstanding this deplorable condition of the army, there were not 
wanting those who complained of its inactivity, and insisted on a winter 
campaign. At this time, the whole number of men in camp was eleven 
thousand and ninety-eight, of whom two thousand eight hundred and ninety- 
eight were unfit for duty, " because they were barefoot and otherwise naked." 
In making this statement to Congress, and alluding to a memorial, or a re- 
monstrance, of the Assembly of Pennsylvania against his going into winter- 
quarters, Washington said, " I can assure those gentlemen, that it is a much 
easier and less distressing thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable 
room by a good fireside, than to occupy a cold, bleak hill, and sleep under 
frost and snow, without clothes or blankets. However, although they seem 
to have little feeling for the naked and distressed soldiers, I feel superabun- 
dantly for them, and, from my soul, I pity those miseries, which it is neither 
in my power to relieve or prevent." 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30. 

At Valley Forge : "A considerable number of our men 
are in warm, comfortable huts; but others have made little 
progress as yet, the march of several thousand of the enemy 
from Philadelphia to Derby (where they remained till the 
28th) having obliged a considerable body of our men to 



1777] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 113 

leave their work to watch them. The work is also retarded 
by the scarcity of tools. Ou Christmas day it snowed, and 
before the next morning it was four inches deep. The 
weather has since been clear and cold." — Colonel Pickering to 
Mrs. Pickering. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31. 

At Valley Forge : " I sincerely feel for the unhappy con- 
dition of our poor fellows in the hospitals, and wish my 
power to relieve them were equal to my inclination. It is 
but too melancholy a truth, that our hospital stores are ex- 
ceedingly scanty and deficient in every instance, and I fear 
there is no prospect of their shortly being better. Our 
difficulties and distresses are certainly great, and such as 
wound the feelings of humanity. Our sick naked, and well 
naked, our unfortunate men in captivity naked !" — Wash- 
ingion to Governor Livingston. 



1778. 



THURSDAY, JANUARY 1. 

At Valley Forge : " The enemy returned into Philadel- 
phia on Sunday last, having made a considerable hay forage, 
which appeared to be their only intention. As they kept 
themselves in close order, and in just such a position that 
no attack could be made upon them to advantage, I could 
do no more than extend light parties along their front, and 
keep them from plundering the inhabitants and carrying 
off cattle and horses; which had the desired effect." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3. 

At Valley Forge : " Our army are tenting themselves ; 
they are almost worn out with fatigue, and greatly distressed 
for want of clothing, particularly the article of shoes and 
stockings. The present mode of clothing the army will 
always leave us without a sufficient supply. The change in 
the Commissary department has been a very distressing 
circumstance ; the army has been fed from hand to mouth 
ever since Mr. Trumbull left it. Our operations have been 
greatly retarded from the situation of the Commissary de- 
partment. The Quartermaster-General's department also 
has been in a most wretched condition. General Mifflin, 
who ought to have been at the head of the business, has 
never been with the army since it came into the State." — 
General Greene to Jacob Greene. 

Although the necessities of the army demanded a speedy change in the 

quartermaster's department, it was not until the 2d of March that General 

Greene was chosen to be the head of it. John Cox, a well-known merchant 

of Philadelphia, and Charles Pettit, a lawyer of New Jersey, secretary to 

lU 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 115 

Governor Livingston at the time, were appointed assistants. The much- 
needed change in the commissary department, however, did not take place 
until later. On the 9th of April Congress elected Jeremiah "Wads worth, of 
Connecticut, commissary-general, and five daj^s later adopted a plan for the 
management of the department, more liberal than the original one, which 
had induced the first commissary-general. Colonel Joseph Trumbull, to quit 
the department, and in its operation had nearly destroyed the army. The 
good efiect growing out of the appointment of General Greene and Colonel 
"Wadsworth is particularly mentioned by Washington in a letter to the 
President of Congress, dated August 3, 1778. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 5. 

At Yallej Forge: "The letter you allude to, from the 
Committee of Congress and Board of "War, came to hand 
on Saturday morning ; but it does not mention the regula- 
tions adopted for removing the difficulties and failures in 
the commissary line. I trust they will be vigorous, or the 
army cannot exist. It will never answer to procure supplies 
of clothing or provision by coercive measures." — Washing- 
ton to the President of Congress. 

" The army has made good progress in hutting ; but the want of tools has 
retarded the work. The huts are very warm and comfortable, being very 
good log-houses, pointed with clay, and the roof made tight with the same. 
The weather is now very mild, which is exceedingly favorable to our hut- 
ting ; but 'tis a melancholy consideration, that hundreds of our men are 
uafit for duty, merely from the want of clothes and shoes." — Colonel Pick- 
ering to Mrs. Pickering, January 5. 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13. 

At Valley Forge : " Military operations seem to be at an 
end for the %vinter. Sir William Howe is fixed in Phila- 
delphia, and we have, by dint of labor and exposing the 
troops to the utmost severity of the season rather than give 
up the country to the ravages of the Enemy established a 
post at this place, where the men are scarcely now covered 
in log huts, having hitherto lived in tents and such tempo- 
rary shelters as they could make up. The want of clothing, 
added to the rigor of the season, has occasioned them to 
suffer such hardships as will not be credited but by those 



116 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

who have been spectators." — Washington to General Bohert 
Howe. 

THUKSDAY, JANUAKY 15. 

At Valley Forge : " About the 15th of January, we had 
our huts nearly completed, and the men in comfortable 
quarters." — Diary of Joseph Clark. 

TUESDAY, JANUAKY 20. 

At Valley Forge : " We have taken a post on the west 
side of the Schuylkill, about twenty miles from the city 
[Philadelphia], and with much pains and industry have got 
the troops tolerably well covered in huts." — Washington to 
General Arnold. 

" January 20. — This morning about daylight a party of the enemy came 
out to our lines and had a curmige with our guards. Major Durban was 
wounded in the wrist ; but there were two of the enemy, light horsemen, 
killed and one more wounded." — Journal of Ebenezer Wildf "Proceedings 
Mass. Hist. Soc.,." Second Series, vi. 106. 

SUNDAY, JANUAEY 25. 

At Valley Forge : " I begin to be very apprehensive that 
the season will entirely pass away, before any thing material 
will be done for the defence of Hudson's River. You are 
well acquainted with the great necessity there is for having 
the works there finished, as soon as possible ; and I most 
earnestly desire, that the strictest attention may be paid to 
every matter, which may contribute to finishing and putting 
them in a respectable state before the spring." — Washington 
to General Putnam, 

As the forts and other works in the Highlands were entirely demolished 
by the British in October, 1777, it became necessary to decide whether they 
should be restored, or new places selected for that purpose. About the be- 
ginning of January the grounds were examined by General Putnam, Gov- 
ernor Clinton, General James Clinton, and Radiere the French engineer ; 
they all united, except Eadiere, in the opinion that West Point was the 
most eligible place to be fortified. A committee appointed by the Council 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON, 117 

and Assembly of New York, after three days' reconuoitring, also came to 
the same conclusion. It was accordingly decided on the 13th of January, 
that the fortifications should be erected at "West Point. 

TUESDAY, JANUAEY 27. 

At Valley Forge : " I am much obliged by your polite 
request of my opinion and advice on the expedition to 
Canada and other occasions. In the present instance, as I 
neither know the extent of the objects in view, nor the 
means to be employed to effect them, it is not in my power 
to pass any judgment upon the subject. I can only sin- 
cerely wish, that success may attend it, both as it may ad- 
vance the public good, and on account of the personal 
honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, for whom I have a very 
particular esteem and regard." — Washington to General 
Gates. 

On January 22 Congress adopted a resolution that "an irruption be 
made into Canada, and that the Board of War be authorized to take every 
necessary measure for the execution of the business, under such general offi- 
cers as Congress shall appoint." The following day the Marquis de La- 
fayette, Major-General Conway, and Brigadier-General Stark were elected 
to conduct the irruption. This proposition, which emanated from the Board 
of War, of which General Gates was president, was without the knowledge 
of the Commander-in-Chief, the appointment of Lafayette being made for 
the purpose of detaching him from Washington. In this, however, the 
conspirators were disappointed, and, finding they could not use the marquis, 
the expedition was abandoned. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUAKY 28. 

At Valley Forge ; " The disagreeable picture, I have 
given you, of the wants and sufferings of the army, and the 
discontents reigning among the officers, is a just represen- 
tation of evils equally melancholy and important ; and un- 
less effectual remedies be applied without loss of time, the 
most alarming and ruinous consequences are to be appre- 
hended." — Washington to a Committee of Congress. 

The above is the concluding paragraph of a lengthy paper (fifty folio 
pages) drawn up by the Commander-in-Chief for the use of a committee of 
Congress, then in camp for the purpose of consulting with him, in order to 



118 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

mature a new system of arrangements for the administration of the army. 
Committee: Francis Dana, Joseph Reed, Nathaniel Folsom, John Harvie, 
Charles Carroll, and Gouverneur Morris. The paper or memoir, prepared 
from information communicated by the general officers, exhibits in detail 
the existing state of the army, the deficiencies and disorders, with their 
causes, and suggests such changes and improvements as were thought essen- 
tial. This formed the basis of the plan adopted by the committee, who, 
after remaining in camp nearly three months, returned to Congress. The 
report, containing the result of their proceedings and the new scheme of the 
army, was approved. 

The sessions of the committee were held at " Moore Hall," the seat of 
William Moore, Esq. about two and a half miles north of the Valley Forge 
head-quarters. The house, still standing, is the country-seat of the Hon. 
Samuel W. Pennypacker of Philadelphia. 

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7. 

At Valley Forge : " The present situation of the army is 
the most melancholy that can be conceived. Our supplies 
of provisions of the flesh kind for some time past have been 
very deficient and irregular. A prospect now opens of 
absolute want, such as will make it impossible to keep the 
army much longer from dissolution, unless the most vigor- 
ous and effectual measures be pursued to prevent it. Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, and Maryland are now intirely exhausted." 
— Washington to Peter Colt, Purchasing Commissary in Con- 
necticut. 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15. 

At Valley Forge : " Lord Cornwallis has certainly era- 
barked for England, but with what view is not so easy to 
determine. He was eyewitness a few days before his de- 
parture to a scene, not a little disgraceful to the pride of 
British valor, in their manoeuvre to Chestnut Hill, and pre- 
cipitate return, after boasting their intentions of driving 
us beyond the mountains." — Washington to Richard Henry 
Lee. 

Lord Cornwallis sailed from Philadelphia for England, December 19, on 
private business, but returned June 6, and took part in the battle of Mon- 
mouth Court-House, June 28. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 119 

MONDAY, FEBRUAEY 16. 

At Valley Forge : " For some days past, there has been 
little less than a famine in the camp. A part of the army 
has been a week without any kind of flesh, and the rest 
three or four days. IvTaked and starving as they are, we 
cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and 
fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been ere this 
excited by their suffering to a general mutiny and disper- 
sion." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

"The situation of the camp is such, that in all human probability the 
army must soon dissolve. Many of the troops are destitute of meat, and 
are several days in arrear. The horses are dying for want of forage. The 
country in the vicinity of the camp is exhausted. There cannot be a moral 
certainty of bettering our circumstances, while we continue here." — Gen- 
eral Varnum to General Greene, February 12. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17. 

At Valley Forge : " We have lately been in a most alarm- 
ing situation for want of provisions. The soldiers were 
scarcely restrained from mutiny by the eloquence and man- 
agement of our officers. Those who are employed to feed 
us, either for want of knowledge or for want of activity or 
both, never furnish supplies adequate to our wants." — John 
Laurens to Henry Laurens. 

" The unfortunate soldiers were in want of everything ; they had neither 
coats, hats, shirts, nor shoes ; their feet and legs froze till they became black, 
and it was often necessary to amputate them. From want of money, they 
could neither obtain provisions nor any means of transport ; the colonels 
were often reduced to two rations, and sometimes even to one. The army 
frequently remained whole days without provisions, and the patient endur- 
ance of both soldiers and officers was a miracle which each moment served to 
renew. But the sight of their misery prevented new engagements : it was 
almost impossible to levy recruits ; it was easy to desert into the interior of 
the country." — Memoirs of Lafayette. 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18. ' 

At Valley Forge : Issues an address to the inhabitants of 
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Vir- 



120 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

ginia, urging them to prepare cattle for the use of the army, 
during the months of May, June, and July. 

FKIDAY, FEBRUAKY 27. 

At Valley Forge : " Baron Steuben has arrived [Febru- 
ary 23] at camp. He appears to be much of a gentleman, 
and as far as I have had an opportunity of judging, a man 
of military knowledge, and acquainted vsdth the world." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

Peter S. Du Ponceau, who came to America with Baron Steuben, as his 
secretary, and who accompanied him to Valley Forge, has left us the follow- 
ing interesting recital of his impressions upon first seeing the Commander- 
in-Chief: " General "Washington received the Baron with great cordiality, 
and to me he showed much condescending attention. I cannot describe the 
impression that the first sight of that great man made upon me. 1 could 
not keep my eyes from that imposing countenance — grave, yet not severe ; 
affable, without familiarity. Its predominant expression was calm dignity, 
through which you could trace the strong feelings of the patriot, and dis- 
cern the father as well as the commander of his soldiers. I have never seen 
a picture that represents him to me as I saw him at Valley Forge, and dur- 
ing the campaigns in which I had the honor to follow him. Perhaps that 
expression was beyond the skill of the painter; but while I live it will re- 
main impressed on my memory. I had frequent opportunities of seeing him, 
as it was my duty to accompany the Baron when he dined with him, which 
was sometimes twice or thrice in the same week. We visited him also in 
the evening, when Mrs, "Washington was at head-quarters. "We were in a 
manner domesticated in the family." 

SUNDAY, MAECH 1. 

At Valley Forge : Orderly Book. — " The Commander in 
Chief again takes occasion to return his warmest thanks to 
the virtuous officers and soldiery of this army, for that per- 
severing fidelity and zeal which they have uniformly mani- 
fested in all their conduct. Their fortitude, not only under 
the common hardships incident to a military life, but also 
under the additional sufferings to which the peculiar situa- 
tion of these States had exposed them, clearly proves them 
worthy of the enviable privilege of contending for the rights 
of human nature, the freedom and independence of their 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 121 

country. Tlie recent instance of uncomplaining patience 
during the scarcity of provisions in Camp, is a fresh proof 
that they possess in an eminent degree the spirit of soldiers 
and the magnanimity of patriots." 

THURSDAY, MARCH 5. 

At Valley Forge : " I learn from undoubted authority, 
that G-eneral Clinton quarters in Captain Kennedy's house 
in the city of 'New York [No. 1 Broadway], which you 
know is near Fort George, and, by reason of the late fire, 
stands in a manner alone. What guards may be at or near 
his quarters, I cannot with precision say; and therefore 
shall not add anything on this score, lest it should prove a 
misinformation. But I think it one of the most practicable 
(and surely it will be among the most desirable and honor- 
able), things imaginable to take him prisoner." — Washington 
to General Parsons at West Point. 

In a second letter on the subject (March 8), enclosing a copy of that of 
the 5th, Washington suggested that the " officers and soldiers employed in 
the enterprise be dressed in red, and much in the taste of the British soldiery." 
General Parsons in reply, under date of March 16, wrote : " The Contents 
of your Excellency's Letter of ye 8th Shall be particularly attended to if no 
other Difficulties appear than at present offer themselves to view, perhaps an 
Attempt may be made within Eight Days, much sooner it cannot be for 
Reasons I will hereafter give, the Letter of the 5th refer'd to in that of the 
S"" not having come to hand gives me some concern, as that Falling into the 
Enemy's Hands may Wholly defeat Us ; I shall be unwilling to malce the 
Attempt unless it should arrive safe." 

The letter of the 5th was afterwards received (March 18), but no attempt 
seems to have been made to carry out the design. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 7. 

At Valley Forge : " I came to this place, some time about 
the first of February [the 10th], where I found the General 
very well. I left my ciiildren at our house. . . The General 
is in camp in what is called the great valley on the Banks 
of the Schuylkill. Officers and men are chiefly in Hutts, 
which they say is tolerably comfortable; the army are as 



122 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

healthy as can well be expected in general. The General's 
apartment is very small ; he has had a log cabin built to 
dine in, which has made our quarter much more tolerable 
than they were at first." — Mrs. Washington to Mrs. Mercy 
Warren. 

P KID AT, MAKCH 20. 

^ At Yalley Forge : " By death and desertion we. have lost 
a good many men since we came to this ground, and have 
encountered every species of hardship, that cold, wet, and 
hunger, and want of clothes, were capable of producing; 
notwithstanding, and contrary to my expectations, we have 
been able to keep the soldiers from mutiny or dispersion ; 
although, in the single article of provisions, they have en- 
countered enough to have occasioned one or other of these 
in most other armies. They have been (two or three times) 
days together without provisions ; and once, six days without 
any of the meat kind." — Washington to General John Cad- 
walader. 

" Sunday next being the time on which the Quakers hold one of their 
general meetings, a number of that society will probably be attempting to 
go into Philadelphia. This is an intercourse that we should by all means 
endeavor to interrupt, as the plans settled at these meetings are of the most 
pernicious tendency. I would therefore have you dispose of your parties in 
such a manner as will most probably fall in with these peopleTl' — Washing- 
ton to General Lacey, March 20. 

TUESDAY, MAKCH 24. 

At Valley Forge : " As it is not improper for Congress to 
have some idea of the present temper of the army, it may 
not be amiss to remark in this place, that, since the month 
of August last, between two and three hundred officers have 
resigned their commissions, and many others were with 
difficulty dissuaded from it. In the Virginia line only, not 
less than six colonels, as good as any in the service, have 
left it lately ; and more, I am told, are in the humor to do 
so." — Washington to the President of Congress. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 123 

SATUKDAY, MARCH 28. 

At Valley Forge : Orderly Book. — " The Baron Steuben, 
a Lieutenant General in foreign service and a gentleman of 
great military experience, having obligingly undertaken to 
exercise the office of Inspector General in the Army, the 
Commander-in-Chief, till the pleasure of Congress be known, 
desires he may be respected and obeyed as such, and hopes 
and expects that all officers, of whatsoever rank, will affiDrd 
him every aid in their power in the execution of his office." 

Frederick ■William Augustus, Baron von Steuben, a Prussian by birth, 
succeeded General Conway in the office of inspector-general of the Amer- 
ican army, his real appointment dating May 5, five weeks later than the 
above-quoted order. His valuable services in improving the discipline ot 
the army are too well known to need any comment. The following de- 
scription of the condition of the army at Valley Forge, written by Steuben, 
shortly after his arrival in camp, is taken from Kapp's Life of Steuben : 
" The arms at Valley Forge were in a horrible condition, covered with rust, 
half of them without bayonets, many from which a single shot could not be 
fired. The pouches were quite as bad as the arms. A great many of the 
men had tin boxes instead of pouches, others had cow-horns ; and muskets, 
carbines, fowling-pieces, and rifles were to be seen in the same company. 
The description of the dress is most easily given. The men were literally 
naked, some of them in the fullest extent of the word. The officers who 
had coats, had them of every color and make. I saw officers, at a grand 
parade at Valley Forge, mounting guard in a sort of dressing-gown, made 
of an old blanket or woollen bed-cover. With regard to their military dis- 
cipline, I may safely say no such thing existed." 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL L _^ 

At Valley Forge: '7 1 must not omit to inform you that 
Baron Steuben is maldng a sensible progress with our 
soldiers. The officers seem to have a high opinion of him, 
and discover a docility from which we may augur the most 
happy effects. It would enchant you to see the enlivened 
scene of our Campus Martins. If Mr. Howe opens the 
campaign with his usual deliberation, and our recruits or 
draughts come in tolerably well, we shall be infinite|v better 
prepared to meet him, than ever we have beenj — John 
Laurens to Henry Laurens. 



124 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

SATUKDAY, APRIL 4. 

At Valley Forge : " I am happy to inform Congress, that 
General Lee will be out on parole to-morrow in place of 
General Prescott ; and I have every reason to expect, if the 
negotiation can be continued upon admissable terms, that 
his exchange will immediately follow the releasement of 
Colonel Campbell and the Hessian field-officers." — Washing- 
ton to the President of Congress. 

General Lee was exchanged, April 21, for Major-General Kichard Prescott 
of the British army, who had been made prisoner on the night of July 10, 
1777, at his quarters near Newport, R.I., by William Barton, lieutenant- 
colonel Rhode Island militia. At the time of his exchange (which was 
finally arranged at Germantown), Lee was at Yorktown on parole, and on 
the day fixed for his reporting to head-quarters, the greatest preparations 
were made for his reception : /^' All the principal OflBcers of the Army were 
drawn up in two lines, advanced of the Camp about 2 miles towards the 
Enemy. Then the Troops with the inferior officers formed a line quite to 
head Quarters — all the Music of the Army attended. The General with a 
great number of principal Officers and their Suites, rode about four miles on 
the road towards Philadelphia, and waited till Gen' Lee appeared. General 
"Washington dismounted & rec"* Gen' Lee as if he had been his Brother. He 
passed thro the Lines of Officers & the Army, who all paid him the highest 
military Honors to Head Quarters, where M" Washington was, and here he 
was entertained with an elegant Dinner, and the music playing the whole 
Time]] A Room was assigned him back of M" Washingtons sitting-room, 
and all his baggage was stowed in it. . . Gen' Washington gave him the 
Command of the right wing of the Army, but before he took Charge of it, 
he requested leave to go to Congress at York Town, which was readily 
granted."* — MS. of Elias Boudinot. 

MONDAY, APRIL 6. 

At Valley Forge : " Mrs. Jones Mrs. Pleasants and two 
other Ladies connected with the Quaker's confined at Win- 
chester in Virginia waited upon me this day for permission 
to pass to York Town [Pennsylvania] to endeavour to ob- 
tain the release of their Friends." — Washington to Thomas 
Wharton, President of Pennsylvania. 

* General Lee rejoined the army at Valley Forge, May 20. His oath 
of allegiance to the United States, preserved in the Department of State, 
Washington, D.C., is dated June 9. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 125 

One of these ladies, Mrs. Henry Drinker, has left us, in her journal, a 
record of this visit to Valley Forge : " April 6, 1778. — Arrived at H* Quarters, 
at about | past one. We requested an audience with the General, and sat 
with his wife, (a sociable, pretty kind of woman), until he came in. A 
number of officers were there who were very complaisant. Tench Tilghman 
among ye rest. It was not long before G. "Washington came, and discoursed 
with us freely, but not so long as we could have wished, as dinner was served, 
to which he invited us. There were 15 Officers, besides ye G' and his wife, 
Gen. Greene, and Gen. Lee. We had an elegant dinner, which was soon 
over, when we went out with ye Gen^^ wife, up to her Chamber — and saw 
no more of him. He told us, he could do nothing in our business further 
than granting us a Pass to Lancaster, which he did, and gave a letter to I*^ 
Morris for T. Wharton." — Journal of Elizabeth Lh^inker, p. 93. 

THUESDAY, APRIL 16. 

At Valley Forge : " On the morning of the 16th [of 
April], we reached Washington's camp at Valley Forge, 
situated on the heights of the Schuylkill. Here I met 
friends and relatives from iN'ew-England. The army con- 
tinues yet in winter-quarters, the fourth campaign being 
at hand. God grant that it may be as fortunate as the last ! 
I spent a day in the camp, attending the reviews and ex- 
amining the condition and situation of the army. My heart 
bled at the recital of their sufferings and privations the past 
winter. Exalted virtue and patriotism, and the strong at- 
tachment of the officers to General Washington, only held 
the army together. The poor soldiers were half naked, and 
had been half starved, having been compelled, for weeks, 
to subsist on simple flour alone, and this too in a laud 
almost literally flowing with milk and honey. Oh, these 
destestable tories ! I saw Washington on horseback at- 
tended by his aids, passing through the camp." — 3Iemoirs 
of Elkanah Watson, p. 62. 

MONDAY, APPvIL 20. 

At Valley Forge : " There seem to be but three gener; . 
plans of operation, which may be premeditated for the nex. 
campaign ; one, the attempting to recover Philadelphia and 
destroy the enemy's army there ; another, the endeavoring 




126 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

to transfer the war to the northward by an enterprise 
against JSTew York ; and a third, the remaining quiet in a 
secure, fortified camp, disciplining and arranging the army- 
till the enemy begin their operations, and then to govern 
ourselves accordingly — which of these three plans shall we 
adopt ?" — Washington to General Greene. 

The letter from which the above is an extract was sent as a circular to all 
the general officers in camp, each of whom returned a written reply. They 
differed widely in opinion. Wayne, Paterson, and Maxwell recommended 
an attack on Philadelphia. Knox, Poor, Varnum, and Muhlenberg were iu 
favor of an attack on New York. Greene thought it best for the main body 
of the army to remain at Valley Forge, but that an attack should be made 
on New York by a detachment of four thousand regulars, joined to the 
eastern militia ; that General Washington should command this expedition 
in person, and leave General Lee to command in Pennsylvania. Lord 
Stirling was for operating against both New York and Philadelphia. La- 
fayette, Steuben, and Duportail had doubts as to the expediency of any 
attack upon the enemy, till the army should be strengthened and put in a 
better condition ; and they were inclined to adopt the third plan suggested 
by the Commander-in-Chief. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 21. 

At Valley Forge: " The enemy are beginning to play a 
game more dangerous, than their efforts by arms (though 
these will not be remitted in the smallest degree), which 
threatens a fatal blow to the independence of America, and 
of course to her liberties. They are endeavoring to ensnare 
the p(iO|)le by specious allurements of peace. . . . !N'othing 
short o! independence, it appears to me, can possibly do. 
A peace on other terms would, if I may be allowed the ex- 
pression, be a peace of war. The injuries we have received 
from the British were so unprovoked, and have been so 
.ereat and so many, that they can never be forgotten." — 
Washinijion to John Banister. 

The above remarks were induced by the perusal of Lord North's Concili- 
atory Bills, as they were called, copies of which had reached head-quarters 
on Ai.iil 17. The Earl of Carlisle, George Johnstone, formerly governor 
of West Florida, and William Eden, the three commissioners appointed 
v.nder ir provisions, accompanied by Adam Ferguson, Professor of Moral 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 127 

Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, as secretary, arrived in the 
Delaware River on the 4th of June. After the commissioners reached 
Philadelphia, Sir Henry Clinton wrote to Washington, requesting a pass- 
port for Dr. Ferguson to proceed to Congress at York, Pennsylvania, with 
despatches. The request was declined {Sparks, v. 397), and the letter con- 
taining it was forwarded to Congress. Not waiting for the result, the com- 
missioners forwarded their papers to Congress, which were received on the 
13th of June. Congress ordered a reply to be returned to the commissioners, 
in which, after expressing a readiness to make peace whenever the King of 
Great Britain should manifest a sincere disposition for that purpose, the 
President, Henry Laurens, added, "The only solid proof of this disposition 
will be, an explicit acknowledgment of the independence of these States, or 
the withdrawing of his fleets and armies." The commissioners remained in 
the country until October, and made various attempts, by art and by official 
intercourse, to gain their object. The reply of Joseph Keed to an offer of 
money and position, to induce him to exert his influence in behalf of the 
commissioners, is well known : " I am not worth purchasing, but, such as I 
am, the King of Great Britain is not rich enough to do it." 

WEDNESDAY, APEIL 22. 

At Valley Forge : By order of Congress, observed as a 
day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. 

FRIDAY, MAY 1. 

At Yalley Forge : " With infinite pleasure I beg leave to 
congratulate Congress on the very important and interesting 
advices brought by the frigate Sensible. General McDougall 
and Mr. Deane were so obliging as to transmit me the out- 
lines of the good tidings." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

Simeon Deane, brother to Silas Deane, one of the American Commission- 
ers in Paris, was the bearer of the despatches containing the treaties between 
France and the United States. He came over in the French frigate Sensi- 
ble, of thirty-six guns, which was sent by the King for the express purpose, 
and arrived at Falmouth (now Portland) in Casco Bay, on the 13th of April, 
after a passage of thirty-five days. He reached Yorktown on Saturday, the 
2d of May. Congress had adjourned till Monday, but the members were 
immediately summoned to assemble by the president, and the despatches 
were read. 

SATURDAY, MAY 2. 

At Valley Forge : Orderly/ Book. — " The Commander in 



128 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

Chief directs that Divine Service be performed every Sun- 
day at 11 o'clock, in each Brigade which has a Chaplain. 
Those Brigades which have none will attend the places of 
worship nearest to them." 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6. 

At Valley Forge : Issues an order for a grand military 
fete and jubilee by the army, to celebrate the conclusion 
of the treaty of alliance between France and the United 
States. 

The treaties of commerce and alliance between France and the United 
States were signed on the 6th of February. The first meeting between the 
French Minister and the American Commissioners, for the purpose of nego- 
tiating a treaty, was held at Versailles on the 12th of December. It was 
stated, in an article of the treaty of alliance, to be its direct end, " to main- 
tain effectually the liberty, sovereignty, and independence, absolute and 
unlimited, of the United States, as well in matters of government as com- 
merce." 

THURSDAY, MAY 1 

At Valley Forge : In pursuance of the order of the 6th, a 
day of general rejoicing in the army. 

At nine o'clock in the morning, Washington, Lord Stirling, Greene, 
and other general officers, with their ladies and suites, attended the relig- 
ious services of the Jersey brigade. At half-past eleven the Commander-in- 
Chief, accompanied by the general officers, reviewed the whole army at their 
respective posts, after which he dined in public with all the officers of his 
army, attended by a band of music. " The entertainment was concluded 
with a number of patriotic toasts, attended with huzzas. When the General 
took his leave, there was a universal clap, with loud huzzas, which continued 
till he had proceeded a quarter of a mile, during which time there were a 
thousand hats tossed in the air. His Excellency turned round with his reti- 
nue, and huzzaed several times." 

FRIDAY, MAY 8. 

At Valley Forge : A council of war, in which it was 
determined " that the line of conduct most consistent with 
sound policy, and best suited to promote the interests and 
safety of the United States, was to remain on the defensive 
and wait events, and not attempt any offensive operations 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 129 

against the enemy, till circumstances should afford a fairer 
opportunity for striking a successful blow." 

At this council, which was convened by order of Congress, the Commander- 
in-Chief stated that the Continental force amounted to fifteen thousand, besides 
horse and artillery. Of these eleven thousand eight hundred were at Valley 
Forge, fourteen hundred at Wilmington, and eighteen hundred on the North 
Kiver. When all the reinforcements were brought in that it was reasonable 
to anticipate, the whole army fit for action could not be expected to amount 
to more than twenty thousand. 

MONDAY, MAT 11. 

At Valley Forge : Orderly/ Book. — " The General oificers 
are requested to meet at Head Quarters at 11 o'clock to- 
morrow, A.M. that they may take the oath appointed by 
Congress in a Resolution of the 3d of February last, which 
was published in the order of the 7th inst." 

" Resolved, That every officer who holds or shall hereafter hold a commis- 
sion or office from Congress shall take and subscribe the following oath or 
affirmation : I do acknowledge the United States of America to be free, in- 
dependent and sovereign States, and declare that the people thereof owe no 
allegiance or obedience to George the third. King of Great Britain ; and I 
renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience to him: and I do 
swear (or affirm) that I will to the utmost of my power support, maintain 
and defend the said United States against the said King George the third, 
and his heirs and successors, and his and their abettors, assistants and adhe- 
rents, and will serve the said United States in the office which I now hold, 
with fidelity, according to the best of my skill and understanding. So help 
me God." — Journal of Congress, February 3, 1778. 

THURSDAY, MAY 14. 

At Valley Forge : " 3Ia}/ 14.— This afternoon at 4 o'clock 
we turned out to exercise. Genl Glover's, Poor's, and Lar- 
nerd's Brigades formed a Division, and went through a 
number of manoeuvres before his Excellency Genl Wash- 
ington and members of the grand Congress." — Journal of 
Ebenezer Wild. 

MONDAY, MAY 18. 

At Valley Forge : " A valuable detachment under the 
command of the Marquis de Lafayette, marched this morn- 

10 



130 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

ing, which is intended to move between the Delaware and 
the Schuylkill, for restraining the enemy's parties and pro- 
curing intelligence and to act as circumstances may require." 
— Washington to the President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, MAY 24. 

At Valley Forge : " On the night of the 19th the enemy 
moved out in force against the detachment under the Mar- 
quis de Lafayette, mentioned in my letter of the 18th, which 
made a timely and handsome retreat in great order over the 
Schuylkill at Matson's Ford." — Washington to the President 
of Congress. 

A graphic description of the affair at Barren Hill, about twelve miles 
from Valley Forge, on the opposite side of the Schuylkill, will be found in 
Sparks, v. 645. 

MONDAY, MAY 25. 

At Valley Forge : " If any thing of greater moment had 
occurred, than declaring that every word contained in the 
pamphlet, which you were obliging enough to send me, was 
spurious, I should not have suffered your favor of the 6th 
instant to remain so long unacknowledged. These letters 
are written with a great deal of art. The intermixture of 
80 many family circumstances (which, by the by, want foun- 
dation in truth) gives an air of plausability, which renders 
the villainy greater ; as the whole is a contrivance to answer 
the most diabolical purposes. Who the author of them is, 
I know not." — Washington to Richard Henry Lee. 

In allusion to the "forged" letters, published at London in June, 1777, 
under the title " Letters from General Washington, to several of his Friends 
in the year 1776. In which are set forth a fairer and fuller view of Ameri- 
can Politics, than ever yet transpired, or the Public could be made acquainted 
with through any other Channel." The letters, seven in number, were 
reprinted at New York in 1778, and at Philadelphia in 1795, and again at 
New York, with other letters, in 1796, with the title " Epistles, domestic, 
confidential and official from General Washington." The appearance of 
the latter publication called out a letter from Washington to Timothy Pick- 
ering (March 3, 1797), in which he declared them to be base forgeries, and 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 131 

said that he had never seen or heard of them until they appeared in print. 
An interesting note concerning these letters, and ascribing the authorship 
to " John Randolph the last royal attorney general of Virginia, and long 
the ablest lawyer in the colony, who went to England in 1775," will be 
found in Ford's "Writings of George Washington," iv. 132. 

FRIDAY, MAY 29. 

At Valley Forge : " That the enemy mean to evacuate 
Philadelphia is almost reduced to a certainty. It is as much 
80, as an event can be, that is contingent. Their baggage 
and stores are nearly if not all embarked ; and, from our 
intelligence, there is reason to conclude, that many days 
will not elapse before they abandon it." — Washington to Gov- 
ernor Clinton. 

FRIDAY, JUNE 5. 

At Valley Forge : " "WTiat the real designs of the enemy 
are, remains yet to be discovered. Appearances and a 
thousand circumstances induce a belief that they intend to 
pass through the Jerseys to New York." — Washington to 
General Dickinson, 

" The enemy had resolved to evacuate Philadelphia as early as the 23d of 
May, and perhaps before. On that day General Clinton [who took com- 
mand on the 11th of May] wrote to Lord George Germain that he had 
determined to leave Philadelphia and proceed to New York with the whole 
army, as soon as it could be done. Orders for evacuating Philadelphia had 
been sent by the ministry, dated March 21, immediately after the French 
government had publicly declared, that a treaty had been made with the 
United States, Gordon says {History, vol. iii. p. 130) that the order for 
evacuation was brought out by the commissioners, and that it was a secret 
even to them. But the fact is, it was contained in the instructions to Sir 
Henry Clinton, as the successor of Sir William Howe, and was received by 
him several days before the arrival of the commissioners." — Sparks, v. 395. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17. 

At Valley Forge : A council of war, in which among 
other questions proposed was, " If the enemy march through 
Jersey, will it be prudent to attack them on the way, or 
more ejigible to proceed to the North River in the most 
direct and convenient manner, to secure the important com- 



132 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

munication between the Eastern and Southern States?" 
Nearly all the officers were opposed to an attack, on account 
of the inequality of force, but some thought it should de- 
pend on circumstances. "Washington was desirous of attack- 
ing the enemy, in which he was supported by Greene, 
Lafayette, "Wayne, and Cadwalader. 

THUKSDAY, JUNE 18. 

At Valley Forge : ^^ Head- Quarters, Half after eleven a.m., 
18 June. I have the pleasure to inform Congress, that I 
was this minute advised by Mr. Roberts that the enemy 
evacuated the city early this morning. ... I have put six 
brigades in motion ; and the rest of the army are preparing 
to follow with all possible despatch. "We shall proceed 
towards Jersey, and govern ourselves according to circum- 
stances." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

'■'■June 18. — This day we learned the enemy had left Philadelphia. About 
12 o'clock Genl Poor's, Varnons [Varnum's], & Huntington's Brigades 
[under General Lee] marched off. At three o'clk the 2d Pennsylvania «& 
another Southern Brigade marched off; and we had orders with the rest 
of the whole army to march to-morrow morning at 5 o'clk.'' — Journal of 
Ebenezer Wild. 

FKIDAY, JUNE 19, 

Leaves Valley Forge : " The enemy evacuated Philadel- 
phia, on the 18th instant. At ten [?] o'clock that day I got 
intelligence of it, and by two o'clock, or soon after, had six 
brigades on their march for the Jerseys, and followed with 
the whole army next morning." — Washington to John Augus- 
tine Washington, July 4, 1778. 

" June 19. — At 5 o'clk the general was beat before the Brigade, & we 
struck our tents & loaded our baggage. Between 9 & 10 o'clk we marched off, 
and making several short stops on the road to rest ourselves ; we pitched our 
tents in a field. "We had orders to cook all our provision, & be ready to 
march at 4 o'clk tomorrow morning. We have marched 9 miles this day. 
This place is called Norringtown." — Journal of Ebenezer Wild. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 20. 

At Doylestown, Pennsylvania: "I am now with the 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 133 

main body of tlie army within ten miles of Coryell's Ferry. 
General Lee is advanced with six brigades, and will cross 
[the Delaware] to-night or to-morrow morning. ... I 
shall enter the Jerseys to-morrow." — Washington to General 
Gates. 

The Doylestown of 1778 was a cross-roads hamlet, about ten miles from 
Coryell's Ferry on the Delaware (now New Hope), consisting of a tavern 
kept by William Doyle, and several small houses. Washington pitched his 
tent near the dwelling of Jonathan Fell, late John G. Mann's farm-house, 
just east of the present borough. The Doylestown of 1892, the county-seat 
of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a town of three thousand inhabitants. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 21. 

At Doylestown : " The whole army is advancing to the 
Delaware. We have been much impeded by rain. The 
troops vfith General Lee crossed the river last night." — 
Washington to General Arnold. 

MONDAY, JUNE 22. 

At Coryell's Ferry (now Lambertville), New Jersey : " I 
have the honor to inform you that I am now in Jersey, and 
that the troops are passing the river at Coryell's, and are 
mostly over. . . . "We have been a good deal impeded in 
our march by rainy weather. As soon as we have cleaned 
the arms, and can get matters in train, we propose moving 
towards Princeton." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

'■^June 22d, the whole army encamped near the new meeting house ; 
having got word that the enemy were moving towards Trenton, the army 
marched next morning towards them, and encamped at Hopewell, the 
enemy having altered their route towards Monmouth." — Diary of Josejph 
Clark. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24. 

At Hopewell, IsTew Jersey : A council of war, after which, 
"Washington decided to attack the enemy. 

'^Hopewell Township, New Jersey, 4 o'clock A.M., 25th June, 1778. — The 
enemy are now at Allen Town, about ten miles southeast of Princeton, and 
we are about six miles north [of] Princeton, so that the two armies are now 



134 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

about nineteen or twenty miles apart. We are now on the march towards 
them, and their movements this day will determine whether we shall come 
in close contact with each other. We have now very numerous parties 
harassing and teasing them on all quarters." — General Knox to William 
Knox. 

THURSDAY, JUNE 25. 

At Kingston, New Jersey: "You are immediately to 
proceed with the detachment commanded by General Poor, 
and form a junction as expeditiously as possible with that 
under the command of General Scott. You are to use the 
most eflectual means for gaining the enemy's left flank and 
rear, and giving them every degree of annoyance. All 
Continental parties, that are already on the lines, will be 
under your command." — Washington to the Marquis de La- 
fayette. 

In the council of war held at Hopewell on the 24th, General Lee had 
been strongly opposed to attacking the enemy, and when this measure was 
decided upon, he gave up the command of the advanced divisions to 
Lafayette ; but he afterwards altered his mind, and requested to be restored 
to the command. 

The army left Kingston in the evening of the 25th and arrived at Cran- 
berry early the next morning. 

FEIDAY, JUNE 26. 

At Cranberry, New Jersey : " Your uneasiness on ac- 
count of the command of yesterday's detachment fills me 
with concern, as it is not in my power fully to remove it 
without wounding the feelings of the Marquis de Lafay- 
ette. . . . The expedient I would propose, is, for you to 
march towards the Marquis with Scott's and Varnum's 
brigades. Give him notice, that you are advancing to sup- 
port him, and that you are to have the command of the 
whole advanced body." — Washington to General Lee. 

As Lee was the senior major-general, this gave him the command of the 
whole advance. Washington explained the matter in a letter of the same 
date to Lafayette, who accordingly resigned the command to General Lee, 
when the latter joined him on the 27th. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 135 

SATUKDAY, JUNE 27. 

Three miles west of Englishtown, N"ew Jersey : In camp 
with the main body of the army. 

About five o'clock in the morning of the 28th, Washington put the army 
in motion, and after marching to within three miles of Monmouth Court- 
House, met the whole advanced corps under the command of General Lee 
retiring in the greatest disorder, and the enemy pressing upon their rear. 
Under the directions of the Commander-in-Chief, however, the troops were 
rallied and the enemy's advance checked. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 28. 

At the battle of Monmouth Court-House : " Wliich from 
an unfortunate and bad beginning, turned out a glorious 
and happy day." — Washington to John Augustine Washington^ 
July 4, 1778. 

" During this affair, which ended so well, although begun so ill. General 
Washington appeared to arrest fortune by one glance, and his presence of 
mind, valour, and decision of character, were never displayed to greater 
advantage than at that moment. The general and he [Lafayette] passed 
the night lying on the same mantle, talking over the conduct of Lee, who 
wrote the next morning a very improper letter, and was placed under arrest. 
He was afterwards suspended by a council of war, quitted the service, and 
wa« not regretted by the army." — Memoirs of Lafayette. 

MONDAY, JUNE 29. 

At Monmouth Court-House : " About seven o'clock yes- 
terday morning, both armies advanced on each other. 
About twelve, they met on the grounds near Monmouth 
Court-House, when an action commenced. "We forced the 
enemy from the field, and encamped on the ground. They 
took a strong post in our front, secured on both flanks by 
morasses and thick woods, where they remained till about 
twelve at night, and then retreated." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

" The Commander-in-Chief congratulates the Array on the victory ob- 
tained over the arms of his Britannic Majesty yesterday, and thanks, most 
sincerely, the gallant officers and men who distinguished themselves upon 
the occasion, and such others as, by their good order and coolness, gave the 



136 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

happiest presages of what might have been expected had they come to 
action." — Orderly Book, June 29. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1. 

At Englishtown : " Being fully convinced by the gentle- 
men of this country that the enemy cannot be hurt or injured 
in their embarkation at Sandy Hook, the place to which 
they are going, and unwilling to get too far removed from 
the North River, I put the troops in motion early this morn- 
ing." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

Washington fell back from Monmouth Court-House, after the battle, to 
Englishtown, about five miles to the westward. He left Englishtown on 
July 1, and reached New Brunswick on the following day, the army en- 
camping on both sides of the Raritan Eiver. 

FRIDAY, JULY 3. 

At New Brunswick, New Jersey: "The march from 
Englishtown was inconceivably distressing to the troops and 
horses. The distance is about twenty miles through a deep 
sand without a drop of water, except at South River, which 
is half way. . . . My present intention is to cross the North 
River at King's Ferry." — Washington to General Gates. 

"To-morrow [July 4th], the anniversary of the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence, will be celebrated by firing thirteen pieces of cannon and a feu de 
joie of the whole line. The army will be formed on the Brunswick side of 
the Raritan, at five o'clock in the afternoon, on the ground pointed out by 
the Quartermaster-General." — Orderly Book, July 3. 

TUESDAY, JULY 7. 

At New Brunswick : " On Sunday morning, the left wing 
of the army moved towards the North River ; the right 
followed yesterday ; and the second line, which forms the 
rear division, is also now in motion." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

" The army moved from Brunswick by the following Stages : — 1st, to 
Scotch Plains; 2d, Springfield; 3d, Wardiston ; 4th, Aquackanonk ; 5th, 
Paramus ; 6th, Cakaryatt [Kakeate] ; 7th, King's Ferry, where the army 
crossed. Scott's and Woodford's brigades crossed July 17th. Next day 
Gen'l Scott's brigades proceeded on towards Croton's Bridge. Gen'l Wood- 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 137 

ford's marched by Peekskill to above the village, where they lay till Mon- 
day, July 20th, then followed after the army which had by this time got 
within 7 miles of White Plains. . . . Friday, 24th, the army moved down 
to White Plains and joined Gen'l Gates' army." — Diary of Joseph Clark. 

SATURDAY, JULY 11. 

At Paramus, ITew Jersey : " The left wing of the army 
is advanced four miles from this place, and nineteen miles 
from King's Ferry; the other two divisions are moving 
after it, with proper intervals. The enemy, since quitting 
the Jerseys, have encamped in three divisions on Staten 
Island, New York Island and Long Island." — Washington to 
General Arnold. 

The village of Paramus, at which Washington made his head-quarters 
until July 15, is in Bergen County, New Jersey, near the New York line, 
and about forty miles northeast of New Brunswick. 

SUNDAY, JULY 12. 

At Paramus : " The vote of approbation and thanks, 
which Congress have been pleased to honor me with, gives 
me the highest satisfaction, and at the same time demands 
a return of my sincerest acknowledgments. . . The left 
wing of the army, which advanced yesterday four miles 
beyond this, moved this morning on the route towards 
King's Ferry. The right and second line, which make the 
last division, are now here, where they will halt for a day 
or two, or perhaps longer." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

" Resolved wnammoMsZy, JThat the thanks of Congress be given to general 
Washington for the activity with which he marched from the Camp at 
Valley Forge in pursuit of the enemy ; for his distinguished exertions in 
forming the line of battle ; and for his great good conduct in leading on the 
attack and gaining the important victory of Monmouth over the British 
grand army under the. command of general sir H. Clinton, in their march 
from Philadelphia to New YorkTJ' — Journal of Congress, July 7, 1778. 

TUESDAY, JULY 14. 

At Paramus : " I take the earliest opportunity to advise 



V 



138 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

you, that I have been informed of your arrival on this coast, 
with a fleet of Ships under your command, belonging to his 
Most Christian Majesty, our great ally. I congratulate you, 
Sir, most sincerely upon this event, and beg leave to assure 
you of my warmest wishes for your success. The intelli- 
gence of your arrival was communicated to me last night 
by a Letter from the Honble. Mr. Laurens, President of the 
Congress." — Washington to Count d^Estaing. 

This fleet, composed of twelve ships of the line and six frigates, with a 
land force of four thousand men, fitted out in accordance with the spirit of 
the treaty of alliance with France (February 6, 1778), had sailed from 
Toulon on the 13th of April, but did not reach the mouth of the Delaware 
till the 8th of July. It had on board M. Gerard, the French Minister 
Plenipotentiary to the United States, and Silas Deane, one of the American 
commissioners who had eflPected the treaty of alliance. Count d'Estaing, 
finding that the British had evacuated Philadelphia, sent up the French 
minister and Mr. Deane to the city in a frigate, and proceeded with the fleet 
to Sandy Hook, where he arrived on the 11th of July. In August, in co- 
operation with land forces under General Sullivan, he made a demonstration 
against Newport, K.I., which obliged the British to destroy six of their 
Irigates and some smaller vessels lying there ; but the fleet was so shattered 
by a storm as to be obliged to refit at Boston. In 1779 he sailed to the 
"West Indies, and in October of that year, in co-operation with the Southern 
army, under General Lincoln, attempted to recover Savannah, which had 
fallen into the hands of the British in December, 1778. The attempt was 
unsuccessful, D'Estaing himself being wounded in the assault. The fleet 
reached France on its return in December, 1779. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15." 

Leaves Paramus : Washington moved the army on the 
15th to Haverstraw, New York, five miles below Stony 
Point (the western landing of King's Ferry), and on the 
following day, visited West Point, fifteen miles up the river. 
On the 17th the troops began crossing the North River at 
Iving's Ferry, Washington passing over with the last division 
at about twelve o'clock noon on Sunday the 19th. 

'■^ July 16. — His Excellency the Commander in Chief visited West Point, 
to take a view of the works which are constructing there. His arrival was 
announced by the discharge of thirteen cannon, the number of the United 
States." — Thacher's Military Journal. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 139 

FKIDAY, JULY 17. 

At Haverstraw, New York : " I had the honor of receiving 
the night of the 14th instant, your very obliging and inter- 
esting letter of the 13th dated off Sandy Hook, with a 
duplicate of another, dated the 8th at Sea." — Washington to 
Count d/Estaing. 

In his letter of the 8th, after announcing the arrival of the fleet, Count 
d'Estaing added: "The talents and the great actions of General Washing- 
ton have secured to him, in the eyes of all Europe, the truly sublime title of 
the liberator of America. Accept, Sir, the homage, which every man, and 
especially every military man, owes you ; and be not displeased that I solicit, 
even in the first instance of intercourse, with military and naval frankness, 
a friendship so flattering as yours." 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22. 

At "White Plains, New York : " On Monday afternoon 
[July 20th] I arrived at this place, in the neighborhood of 
which the right and left wing encamped that night, with 
the second line a few miles in the rear." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

FRIDAY, JULY 24. 

At "White Plains : " It is neither the expense nor trouble 
of them [foreign officers] that I most dread. There is an 
evil more extensive in its nature, and fatal in its consequences, 
to be apprehended, and that is, the driving of all our own 
officers out of the service, and throwing not only our army, 
but our military councils, entirely into the hands of foreign- 
ers." — Washington to Gouvemeur Morris. 

Washington was exceedingly embarrassed by the foreign officers who were 
admitted into the service by Congress, and then turned%ver to him to be 
provided with employment, thus deranging the system of the army, and 
interfering with native officers. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 3. 

At White Plains : " In justice to General Greene, I take 
occasion to observe, that the public is much indebted to him, 
for his judicious management and active exertions, in his 



140 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

present department [quartermaster-general]. "When Tie 
entered upon it, he found it in a most confused, distracted, 
and destitute state. This, by his conduct and industry, has 
undergone a very happy change, and such, as enabled us, 
with great facility, to make a sudden move, with the whole 
army & baggage from Valley forge, in pursuit of the Enemy, 
and to perform a march to this place. In a word, he has 
given the most general satisfaction and his affairs carry 
much the face of method and system. I also consider it as 
an act of justice to speak of the conduct of Colo. Wads- 
worth, Commissary General. He has been indefatigable in 
his exertions to provide for the Army, and since his appoint- 
ment, our supplies of provisions have been good and ample." 

— Washington to the President of Congress. 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20. 

At White Plains: "It is not a little pleasing, nor less 
wonderful to contemplate, that after two years' manoeuvring 
and undergoing the strangest vicissitudes, that perhaps ever 
attended any one contest since the creation, both armies are 
brought back to the very point they set out from, and that 
which was the offending party in the beginning is now re- 
duced to the use of the spade and pickaxe for defence." — 
Washington to General Nelson. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. 

At White Plains : " I intend to place the whole [army] in 
such a position in a day or two, that they may either march 
to the Eastward, or be within supporting distance of the 
posts upon the North River, as appearances may require." 

— Washington to General Sullivan. 

Washington remained at White Plains until the 16th of September, when 
he moved the camp to Fredericksburg, then a precinct of Dutchess County, 
now a portion of Putnam County, New York. His head-quarters were at 
Patterson, a village almost due east from Newburgh, and near the Connecti- 
cut line. Washington was at West Point on the 19th of September, but 
whether the visit was made before or after reaching Fredericksburg we can- 
not determine. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 141 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBEK 23. 

At Fredericksburg : " The place I now date from is about 
thirty miles from the fort [West Point] on the North River ; 
and I have some troops nearer, and others farther off, but 
all on the road leading to Boston, if we should be dragged 
that way." — Washington to John Augustine Washington. 

In the same letter Washington wrote : " There are but two capital objects, 
which they [the enemy] can have in view, except the defeat and dispersion 
of this army ; and those are the possession of the fortifications in the High- 
lands, by which the communication between the eastern and southern States 
would be cut off, and the destruction of the French fleet at Boston. ... I 
have, therefore, in order to do the best that the nature of the case will admit, 
strengthened the works, and reinforced the garrison in the Highlands, and 
thrown the army into such positions, as to move eastward or westward, as 
circumstances may require." 

FEIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. 

At Fredericksburg : " Immediately upon my removal from 
the White Plains to this ground, tlie enemy threw a body 
of troops into the Jerseys ; but for what purpose, unless to 
make a grand forage, I have not been able yet to learn." — 
Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette, 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3. 

At Fishkill, New York : " The enemy in the Jerseys 
having received a reinforcement and made some forward 
movements, I ordered Major-General Putnam across the 
river for the immediate security of West Point, and moved 
a division of troops to this place, to be nearer that post. I 
have since come here myself, and propose to remain till the 
views of the enemy on the Jerseys are decidSd." — Washing- 
ton to the President of Congress. 

When at Fishkill village (fifteen miles west of the Fredericksburg head- 
quarters), Washington sometimes quartered at the house of Colonel John 
Brinckerhoff. The house, which was built in 1738, is still standing, and re- 
mains unaltered. It is now in the possession of Alfred White. The house 
of Colonel Derrick Brinckerhoff (a nephew of the former) was also resorted 
to by Washington. This house still remains in the Brinckerhoff family. 



142 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

SUNDAY, OCTOBEE 4. 

At Fishkill : " Can we carry on the war much longer ? 
Certainly No, unless some measures can be devised & 
speedily executed to restore the credit of our currency, re- 
strain extortion, & punish forestallers. "Without these can 
be effected, what funds can stand the present expenses of 
the army? And what officer can bear the weight of prices, 
that every necessary article is now got to ? A Rat in the 
shape of a horse, is not to be bought at this time for less 
than £200 ; A Saddle under Thirty or Forty ; — Boots twenty, 
— rand shoes and other articles in the like proportion." — 
Washington to Gouverneur Morris. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8. 

Visits the Hospital at the " Robinson House" : " His Ex- 
cellency the Commander in Chief, made a visit to our hospi- 
tal; his arrival was scarcely announced, before he presented 
himself at our doors. Dr. Williams and myself had the 
honor to wait on this great and truly good man, through the 
different wards, and to reply to his inquiries relative to the 
condition of our patients. He appeared to take a deep 
interest in the situation of the sick and wounded soldiers, 
and inquired particularly as to their treatment and comfort- 
able accommodations." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

Dr. Thacher's description of the personal appearance of Washington, at 
the time of this visit to the " Robinson House" (a little below West Point, 
on the opposite or east bank of the Hudson), is well worth transcribing: 
[^' The personal appearance of our Commander in Chief, is that of the perfect 
gentleman and accomplished warrior. He is remarkably tall, full six feet, 
erect and well projJbrtioned. The strength and proportion of his joints and 
muscles, appear to be commensurate with the preeminent powers of his 
mind. The serenity of his countenance, and majestic gracefulness of his 
deportment, impart a strong impression of that dignity and grandeur, which 
are his peculiar characteristics, and no one can stand in his presence without 
feeling the ascendency of his mind, and associating with his countenance 
the idea of wisdom, philanthropy, magnanimity, and patriotism. There is 
a fine symmetry in the features of his face indicative of a benign and digni- 
fied spirit. His nose is strait, and his eyes inclined to blue. He wears hia 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 143 

hair in a becoming cue, and from his forehead it is turned back and powdered 
in a manner which adds to the military air of his appearance. He displays 
a native gravity, but devoid of all appearance of ostentation. His uniform 
dress is a blue coat, with two brilliant epaulettes, buff colored under clothes, 
and a three cornered hat with a black cockade. He is constantly equipped 
with an elegant small sword, boots and spurs, in readiness to mount his 
noble charger. 'M 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10. 

At Fredericksburg : " I have just received intelligence, 
bearing strong marks of authenticity, that the enemy mean 
a total evacuation of New York. Various are the conjec- 
tures of their destination. I cannot think they mean to 
attempt any thing against Boston, considering the danger 
of taking a heavy fleet round Cape Cod at this advanced 
season." — Washington to General Heath. 

" The enemy in reality had no designs against the French fleet at Boston, 
though it is probable they kept up an appearance of such a purpose by way 
of feint. Sir Henry Clinton wrote to Lord George Germain at this time, 
informing him that the convoy was ready, and five thousand troops would 
shortly be despatched to the West Indies, and three thousand more to 
Florida. ♦ With an army so much diminished at New York,' he added, 
' nothing important can be done ; especially as it is also weakened by send- 
ing seven hundred men to Halifax, and three hundred to Bermuda.' " — 
Sparks, vi. 88. 

Washington returned to the Fredericksburg head-quarters about October 
9, and remained there, with the exception of a second trip to Fishkill (noted 
in his expense account), until the 28th of November, when he set out for 
Middlebrook, New Jersey. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16. 

At Fredericksburg : Orderly Book. — " To-Morrow being 
the glorious anniversary of the surrender of Gen^ Borgoine 
and his Troops to the arms of America under the Command 
of Major Geu^ Gates, it will be Commemorated by the firing 
of 13 Pieces of Cannon from the park of artillery at 12 
o'clock." 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14. 

At Fredericksburg : " The question of the Canadian ex- 



144 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

pedition, in the form in which it now stands, appears to me 
one of the most interesting that has hitherto agitated our 
national deliberations." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

" In the autumn of this year [1778], while at Pishkill, Mr. Jay received 
a visit from General Washington, whose head-quarters were at the time in 
the adjoining county of Westchester [Dutchess]. The object of the visit 
was a confidential conversation on a plan then before Congress, for the 
invasion of Canada the ensuing campaign, by the combined forces of the 
United States and of France. They both concurred in disapproving of the 
plan." — Life of John Jay, i. 83. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 

At Fredericksburg: "I have yours of the 13th, contain- 
ing the disagreeable account of the attack upon Colonel 
AJden's regiment at Cherry Valley. . . It is in the highest 
degree distressing to have our frontier so continually har- 
assed by this collection of banditti, under Brant and Butler." 
— Washington to General Hand. 

Colonel Ichabod Alden commanded a regiment of Continental troops 
from Massachusetts, stationed at Cherry Valley, New York, a settlement 
near the head watoi-s of the eastern branch of the Susquehanna. The attack 
on that place (November 10), and the massacre of its inhabitants by a party 
of Tories and Indians, commanded by Walter Butler and the noted Joseph 
Brant, constitute one of the most tragical events in the history of border 
warfare. Colonel Alden was killed, and many of the inhabitants, men, 
women, and children, were butchered in cold blood. 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27. , 

At Fredericksburg : " I am upon the eve of my departure 
for winter-quarters. ... It is eleven o'clock at night, and 
I am to set out early in the morning." — Washington to Joseph 
Meed. 

The disposition of the army for winter-quarters was as follows. Nine 
brigades were stationed on the west side of the Hudson, one of which, the 
North Carolina brigade, was near Smith's Clove ; another, the Jersey brigade, 
at Elizabethtown ; and seven, consisting of the Virginia, Maryland, Dela- 
ware, and Pennsylvania troops, were at Middlebrook. One brigade was at 
West Point in addition to the garrison, and five were on the east side of the 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 145 

river ; two at Fishkill and the Continental Village, and three, composed of 
the New Hampshire and Connecticut troops, and Hazen's regiment, in the 
vicinity of Danbury. The park of artillery was at Pluckamin. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1. 

At Elizabeth town, New Jersey : " In arranging the winter 
quarters of the army, Gen. Washington made choice of 
Middlebrook, Somerset County, N. J., for his own head- 
quarters with seven brigades, detailing the Jersey Brigade 
to occupy Elizabeth Town, as the advanced post of the 
army. This brought him on the 1st of December, to this 
town [Elizabethtown], where he remained until the morn- 
ing of the 5th. In honor of his visit, a festive entertain- 
ment was given, on the fourth." — HatJielcVs History of Eliz- 
abeth, p. 471. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7. 

At Paramus, New Jersey : " I returned to this place from 
Elizabethtown, upon hearing that the enemy had gone up 
the North River, in considerable force. Their ships pro- 
ceeded as far as King's Ferry, but they yesterday fell down 
again. ... I shall set out to-morrow for Middlebrook." — 
Washington to Governor Livingston. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12. 

At Middlebrook, New Jersey : " Sir Harry's late extra 
manoeuvre up the North River kept me upon the march 
and countermarch from the 5th till yesterday, when I ar- 
rived at these my quarters for the winter, and employed too 
much of my attention to investigate his designs, to indulge 
in more agreeable amusements." — Washington to Joseph 
Reed. 

The letter from Washington to Joseph Reed, from which the above ex- 
tract is made, was written to congratulate him on his election as President 
of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

At Middlebrook : " I did not reach this place till late on 

11 



146 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

the 11th, since which I have been much employed in at- 
tending to the dispositions for hutting the army." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress. 

"Washington's head-quarters, as stated by Andrew D. Mellick in his 
" Story of an Old Farm," were at the Wallace house, about four miles west 
of Middlebrook, on ground now in Somerville, the county-seat of Somerset 
County, New Jersey ; the house is still standing. General Knox had his 
quarters at Pluckamin, six miles to the north of the "Wallace house, where 
his artillery brigade was comfortably hutted. The main body of the army 
was located near to Middlebrook, or Bound Brook as it is more generally 
called. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18. 

At Middlebrook : " I beg you will accept ray thanks for 
your obliging letter of the 30th ultimo, and the polite ex- 
pressions of your friendship which accompany it. At the 
same time I am happy to congratulate you on your honor- 
able acquittal with the approbation of Congress." — Wash- 
ington to General Schuyler. 

The charge against General Schuyler was neglect of duty, in not being 
present at Ticonderoga when it was evacuated by General St. Clair. The 
entire proceedings of the northern campaign of 1777, while General Schuyler 
had the command, were investigated by the court-martial at his request. 
He submitted in detail his instructions and orders, and was unanimously 
acquitted by the court " with the highest honor." This acquittal was con- 
firmed by Congress, December 3. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20. 

At Middlebrook : " The army is now a hutting, I believe 
we are the first army that ever built themselves Winter- 
quarters at the close of a Campaign. The mode has an 
appearance of hardship and it is attended with many incon- 
veniences to the Officers, but the Soldiers are very comfort- 
able. We can barrack the Troops in a short time, and 
with little expense. . . His Excellency General Washington 
is going to Philadelphia in order to settle some points rela- 
tive to a certain expedition in contemplation to the N — d, 
he sets out to-morrow.'"' — General Greene to John Hancock. 



1778] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 147 

MONDAY, DECEMBEE 21. 

At Middlebrook : " Congress having been pleased to re- 
quire my attendance at Philadelphia for a few days the im- 
mediate command of the Troops at this place will devolve 
upon your Lordship." — Washington to Lord Stirling. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22. 

At Philadelphia : " Last Tuesday [December 22] George 
Washington, esq., commander in chief of the army of the 
United States arrived here [Philadelphia]. Too great for 
pomp, and as if fond of the plain and respectable rank of a 
free and independent citizen, his excellency came in so late 
in the day as to prevent the Philadelphia, troop of militia 
lighthorse, gentlemen, officers of the militia, and others of 
this city, from shewing those marks of unfeigned regard for 
this good and great man, which they fully intended, and 
especially of receiving him at his entrance into the State, 
and escorting him hither." — Pennsylvania Emning Post, De- 
cember 28, 1778. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24. 

At Philadelphia : In attendance on Congress, and is in- 
formed, from the chair, that Congress had directed his at- 
tendance " in order, among other things, to confer with him 
on the operations of the next campaign, and that a com- 
mittee will be appointed for that purpose." On the same 
day receives and answers an address from the Supreme 
Executive Council of Pennsylvania. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28. 

At Philadelphia : Present at the celebration of the festival 
of St. John the Evangelist by the " Most ancient and wor- 
shipful Society of Free and accepted Masons," being hon- 
ored with the chief place in the procession, supported on his 
right by the Grand Master, and on his left by the Deputy 
Grand Master. In the sermon preached in Christ Church, 



148 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1778 

on this occasion, by the Eev. Brother William Smith, D.D., 
"Washington was alluded to as the Cincinnatus of America. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29. 

At Philadelphia : " This will be accompanied by a letter 
from Congress, which will inform you, that a certain expe- 
dition, after a full consideration of all circumstances, has 
been laid aside." — Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

The "certain expedition" was the invasion of Canada by the combined 
forces, naval and military, of France and the United States, which had 
been advanced and strongly advocated by Lafayette. The scheme met the 
approbation of a large majority in Congress, but Washington opposed it, 
and the committee appointed on the 24th to confer with him reported 
against it. The report was approved by Congress, and the President was 
instructed to write to Lafayette, who was about returning to France on a 
visit. The marquis sailed from Boston January 11, 1779. The letters, 
however, did not reach him before his departure, so that he went to France 
without being informed of the decision of Congress. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30. 

At Philadelphia : " If I was to be called upon to draw a 
picture of the times and of Men, from what I have seen, 
and heard, and in part know, I should in one word say that 
idleness, dissipation & extravagance seems to have laid fast 
hold of most of them. — That speculation — peculation — and 
an insatiable thirst for riches seems to have got the better 
of every other consideration and almost of every order of 
Men. — That party disputes and personal quarrels are the 
great business of the day whilst the momentous concerns of 
an empire — a great and accumulated debt — ruined finances 
— depreciated money — and want of credit (which in their 
consequences is the want of everything) are but secondary 
considerations and postponed from day to day — from week 
to week as if our affairs wear the most promising aspect — 
after drawing this picture, which from my Soul I believe to 
be a true one, I need not repeat to you that I am alarmed 
and wish to see my Countrymen roused." — Washington to 
Benjamin Harrison. 



1779- 



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6. 

At Philadelphia : " I have lately been several times in- 
vited abroad with the General and Mrs. "Washington. He 
always inquires after you in the most affectionate manner, 
and speaks of you highly. "We danced at Mrs. Powell's 
your birth-day [January 6, (O.S.) 1706], or night I should 
say, in company together, and he told me it was the anni- 
versary of his marriage [January 6, (N".S.) 1759] ; it was just 
twenty years that night." — Mrs. Bache to Dr. Franklin^ 
January 17, 1779. 

Mrs. Powel (Elizabeth Willing), at whose house Mrs. Bache, daughter 
of Benjamin Franklin, danced in company together with General Wash- 
ington, on the evening of January 6, 1779, was the wife of Samuel Powel, 
mayor of Philadelphia in 1775 and 1789. When in Philadelphia, Washing- 
ton was a frequent visitor at the Powel house, still standing, on the west 
Bide of Third Street, between Walnut and Spruce Streets, No. 244; old 
number, 112. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15. 

At Philadelphia : " It is much to be regretted, that our 
prospect of any capital offensive operations is so slender, 
that we seem in a manner to be driven to the necessity of 
adopting the plan to remain intirely on the defensive ; ex- 
cept such lesser operations against the Indians, as are abso- 
lutely necessary to divert their ravages from us. . . . The 
main Body of the army must take a position so as to be 
most easily subsisted, and at the same time best situated to 
restrain the Enemy from ravaging the Country. If they 
should hereafter weaken themselves still more, so as to give 
a favorable opening, we should endeavour to improve it." — 
Washington to the Committee of Congress. 

149 



^.^"^ 



150 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

The Committee of Congress, appointed December 24, 1778, to confer with 
the Commander-in-Chief on the operations of the next campaign, was com- 
posed of James Duane, Jesse Eoot, Melancthon Smith, Gouverneur Morris, 
and Henry Laurens. After submitting a paper containing Minutes of the 
several topics which were lilcely to be brought forward in the conference, 
Washington, at the request of the committee, made several explanatory 
communications, from one of which the above extract is made. The plan 
of a defensive campaign, suggested by the Commander-in-Chief, was finally 
adopted, as being the best under the circumstances, and the least expensive. 

MONDAY, JANUAKY 18. 

At Philadelphia : Present at a banquet given by Congress 
to the French minister, to celebrate the French alliance, at 
which thirteen toasts were drunk, accompanied by salutes 
of artillery. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUAKY 20. 

At Philadelphia : Informs the Supreme Executive Coun- 
cil of Pennsylvania, by letter, of his willingness to sit to 
Charles Willson Peale for his portrait, to be placed in the 
Council Chamber, as requested by them in a resolution of 
January 18. 

For the history of this portrait, destroyed in September, 1781, and the 
engraving of it executed by Mr. Peale in 1780, consult the paper entitled 
*' The History of a Rare Washington Print," Pennsylvania Magazine, vol. 
xiii. p. 257. See Frontispiece. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29. 

At Philadelphia : " My long and unexpected stay in this 
City being attended with many inconveniences to the com- 
mon business of the army, and in other respects, I feel my- 
self under the necessity of requesting the permission of 
Congress to return ; and, if consistent with their views, I 
should be glad to set out for the camp at Middlebrook on 
Monday next." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1. 

At Philadelphia : Sits to Pierre Eugene du Simitiere for 
his portrait, the sitting being recorded in the note-book of 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 151 

the artist, printed in the Pennsylvania Magazine, vol. xiii. p. 
359; "Paintings & Drawings done 1779 feby 1'' a drawing 
in black lead of a likeness in profil of his Excellency gen- 
eral Washington, form of a medal, for my collection. IS" B 
the general at the request of the Hon. M'^ Jay President of 
congress, came with him to my house this morning & con- 
descended with great good nature to Sit about f of an hour 
for the above likeness, having but little time to Spare being 
the last day of his stay in town." 

The drawing by Du Simitiere is not in existence, but the portrait is well 
known through engravings, the first of which was published at Madrid in 
1781. See Baker's " Engraved Portraits of Washington," pp. 39, 41. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUAKY 2. 

Leaves Philadelphia : " Tuesday morning [February 2], 
His Excellency General "Washington set off from Philadel- 
phia to join the army in IS'ew Jersey. During the course 
of his short stay (the only relief he has enjoyed from service 
since he first entered into it), he has been honored with 
every mark of esteem which his exalted qualities as a gen- 
tleman and a citizen entitle him to. His Excellency's stay 
was rendered the more agreeable by the company of his 
lady, and the domestic retirement which he enjoyed at the 
house of the Honorable Henry Laurens, Esquire, with whom 
he resided." — Pennsylvania Packet, February 4, 1779. 

FEIDAY, FEBRUARY 5. 

At Middlebrook, ISTew Jersey : " It was not till the 5th 
instant, I returned to this place. While in Philadelphia 
what between Congress and a special committee of that 
body I was furnished with ample employment. I had few 
moments of relaxation." — Washington to General Schuyler, 
February 11. 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18. 

At General Knox's quarters, Pluckamin : 'U?he anniver- 
sary of our alliance with France was celebrated in proper 



152 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

style near headquarters, at Pluckemin. A splendid enter- 
tainment was given bj General Knox and the officers of 
the artillery. General Washington, and his lady, with the 
principal officers of the army and their ladies, and a con- 
siderable number of respectable ladies and gentlemen of the 
state of New Jersey, formed the brilliant assemljly. About 
four o'clock sixteen cannon were discharged, and the com- 
pany collected in a large public building to partake of an 
elegant dinner. In the evening a very beautiful set of fire 
works was exhibited, and the celebration was concluded by 
a splendid ball opened by his Excellency General "Washing- 
ton, having for his partner the lady of General Knox.'f — 
2''hac/ier's Military Journal. --^ 

This celebration was in honor of the first anniversary of the French 
alliance ; it should properly have taken place on the 6th, but was deferred 
to the 18th because of Washington's absence from camp. General Knox, 
in a letter of February 28, wrote to his brother : " We had at the Park [of 
artillery] on the 18th a most genteel entertainment given by self and officers. 
Everybody allows it to be the first of the kind ever exhibited in this State 
at least. We had above seventy ladies, all of the first ton in the State, and 
between three and four hundred gentlemen. We danced all night — an 
elegant room, the illuminating, fireworks, «&c., were more than prettyl It 
was to celebrate the alliance between France and America." 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25. 

At Middlebrook : " February 26th.-+'Yesterday I accom- 
panied Major Cavil to head quarters, and had the honor of 
being numbered among the guests at the table of his Ex- 
cellency, with his lady, two young ladies from Virginia, the 
gentlemen who compose his family, and several other officers. 
It is natural to view with keen attention the countenance of 
an illustrious man, with a secret hope of discovering in his 
features some peculiar traces of excellence, which distin- 
guishes him from and elevates him above his fellow mortals. 
These expectations are realized in a peculiar manner, in 
viewing the person of General Washington. His tall and 
noble stature and just proportions, his fine, cheerful open 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 153 

countenauce, simple and modest deportment, are all calcu- 
lated to interest every beholder in his favor, and to com- 
mand veneration and respect. He is feared even when 
silent, and beloved even while we are unconscious of the 
motive. ... In conversation, his Excellency's expressive 
countenance is peculiarly interesting and pleasing ; a placid 
smile is frequently observed on his lips, but a loud laugh, it 
is said, seldom if ever escapes him. He is polite and atten- 
tive to each individual at table, and retires after the com- 
pliment of a few glasses. Mrs. Washington combines in 
an uncommon degree, great dignity of manner mth the 
most pleasing afiability, but possesses no striking marks of 
beauty^' — ThacJier's Military Journal. 

. MONDAY, MAKCH 8. 

At Middlebrook : " !N'othing of importance has happened 
since you left us, except the Enemy's invasion of Georgia, 
and possession of its capital [Savannah]. . . . The American 
Troops are again in Hutts ; but in a more agreeable and 
fertile country, than they were in last winter at Valley 
Forge; and they are better clad and more healthy, than 
they have ever been since the formation of the army. Mrs. 
"Washington is now with me." — Washington to the Marquis 
de Lafayette at Paris. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell sailed from Sandy Hook, on the 27th of 
November, 1778, with more than two thousand land troops, covered by a 
small squadron under Commodore Parker. The fleet arrived at Tybee Island, 
near the mouth of the Savannah Kiver, on the 23d of December. Six days 
afterwards the vessels and transports crossed the bar, and the troops were 
landed at daybreak three miles below the town. General Kobert Howe, 
with about six hundred Continentals and a few hundred militia, opposed 
their advance, but was defeated, and Savannah passed into the hands of the 
British. An attempt was made to recapture it, October 9, 1779, by the com- 
bined French and American forces under D'Estaing and Lincoln, which 
failed, and the enemy retained possession until July 11, 1782, when it was 
evacuated. 

MONDAY, MAKCH 15. 

At Middlebrook : " It gives me very singular pleasure to 



154 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

find that you have again taken a seat in Congress. I think 
there never was a time, when cool and dispassionate reason- 
ing, strict attention and application, great integrity, and, if 
it was in the nature of things, unerring wisdom, were more 
to be wished- for, than at the present." — Washington to 
Thomas Nelson. 

" March 19. — We had a little dance at my quarters a few evenings past. 
His Excellency and Mrs. Greene danced upwards of three hours without 
once sitting down." — General Greene to Colonel Wadsworth. 

General Greene's quarters were at the Van Veghten house, located mid- 
way hetween Bound Brook and Somerville, on the banks of the Karitan. 

WEDNESDAY, MAKCH 31. 

At Middlebrook : " Speculation, Peculation, Engrossing, 
forestalling, with all their concomitants, afford too many 
melancholy proofs of the decay of public virtue, and too 
glaring instances of its being the interest and desire of too 
many, who would wish to be thought friends, to continue 
the war. Nothing, I am convinced, but the depreciation of 
our currency, proceeding in a great measure from the fore- 
going causes, aided by stockjobbing and party dissensions, 
has fed the hopes of the Enemy and kept the British arms 
in America to this day. They do not scruple to declare 
this themselves, and add, that we shall be our own con- 
querors." — Washington to James Warren. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 13. 

At Middlebrook : '^ April 13th. — We have passed a winter 
remarkably mild and moderate ; since the 10th of January, 
we have scarcely had a fall of snow, or a frost, and no severe 
weather." — Thacher^s Military Journal. 

FRIDAY, APRIL 23. 

At Middlebrook : " Is there any thing doing, or that can 
be done, to restore the credit of our money ? The depreci- 
ation of it has got to so alarming a point, that a wagon- 
load of money will scarcely purchase a wagon-load of pro- 
visions." — Washington to the President of Congress. 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 155 

Continental paper-money began to depreciate early in 1777. On the 1st 
of January of that year the value of one hundred dollars in specie was one 
hundred and five dollars in Continental money, and so rapid was the depre- 
ciation, that by May, 1779, it took one thousand two hundred and fifteen 
dollars in paper to represent one hundred dollars in specie. 

SUNDAY, MAY 2. 

At Middlebrook : '■'■May 2d. — The whole of our army in 
this quarter was paraded in martial array in a spacious 
field, and a stage was erected for the accommodation of the 
ladies and gentlemen spectators. At the signal of thirteen 
cannon, the great and splendid cavalcade approached in 
martial pomp and style. A very beautiful troop of light 
horse, commanded by Major Lee, a Virginian, marched in 
front, then followed his Excellency the Commander in 
Chief and his aids de camp, next the foreign ministers and 
their retinue, and the general officers of our army and their 
aids, closed the procession. Having arrived on the field of 
parade, the Commander in Chief, with the foreign min- 
isters, and general officers, passed in front of the line of the 
army, from right to left, in review, and received the mili- 
tary honors due to their rank ; after which the gentlemen 
dismounted and retired to the stage, and took seats with 
Mrs. Washington, Mrs. Greene, Mrs. Knox, and a number 
of other ladies who had arrived in their carriages. The 
army then performed the field manoeuvres and evolutions, 
with firing of cannon and musketry." — Thacher's Military 
Journal. 

This review of the army was held in honor of M. Gerard, the French 
minister, and Don Juan Marailles, a gentleman of distinction from Spain, 
who had arrived in camp the day previous, the arrival, as recorded by Dr> 
Thacher, having been announced by thirteen guns. M. Gerard visited tho 
camp in order to consult with General Washington respecting the opera- 
tions of Count D'Estaing's fleet. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5. 

At Middlebrook : " Enclosed I have the honor to trans- 
mit to your Excellency three New York papers. The last 



156 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

contains extracts from Lord IsTortli's speech at opening the 
budget, which seems to breathe a vigorous prosecution of 
the war. I have thought appearances for some time past 
wore this complexion. The English papers have frequently 
announced considerable reinforcements to the army in 
America, and have even speciiied the particular corps in- 
tended to be sent over. Nor can I see any suflicient reason 
to believe this will not be done." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress. 

For some interesting facts respecting Lord North, and extracts from 
letters written to him by George III. at diiferent times, on American affairs, 
see Sparks, vi. 531. 

THURSDAY, MAY 6. 

At Middlebrook : Observed as a day of fasting, humilia- 
tion, and prayer, recommended by Congress. 

SATURDAY, MAY 8. 

At Middlebrook : " The rapid decay of our currency, the 
extinction of public spirit, the increasing rapacity of the 
times, the want of harmony in our councils, the declining 
zeal of the people, the discontents and distresses of the 
officers of the army, and I may add, the prevailing security 
and insensibility to danger, are symptoms, in my eye, of a 
most alarming nature. If the enemy have it in their power 
to press us hard this campaign, I know not what may be 
the consequence. Our army, as it now stands, is but little 
more than the skeleton of an army ; and I hear of no steps 
that are taking to give it strength and substance." — Wash- 
ington to Gouverneur Morris. 

General Washington expressed himself in a strain similar to the above, 
in writing to another friend. May 18th. " I never was, and much less 
reason have I now to be, afraid of the enemy's arms ; but I have no scruple 
in declaring to you, that I have never yet seen the time in which our aflfairs, 
in my opinion, were at so low an ebb as at the present; and, without a 
speedy and capital change, we shall not be able in a very short time to call 
out the strength and resources of the country. The hour is certainly come, 
when party disputes and dissensions should subside, when every man, es- 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 157 

pecially those in office, should with hand and heart pull the same way, and 
with their whole strength. Providence has done, and I am persuaded is 
disposed to do, a great deal for us ; but we are not to forget the fable of 
Jupiter and the countryman." 

FKIDAY, MAY 14. 

At Middlebrook : ^'■May 14th. — Our brigade was paraded 
for the purpose of being reviewed by General Washington 
and a number of Indian chiefs. His Excellency, with his 
usual dignity, followed by his mulatto servant Bill, riding a 
beautiful grey steed, passed in front of the line and received 
the salute. He was accompanied by a singular group of 
savages, whose appearance was beyond description ludi- 
crous." — Thachefs Military Journal. 

TUESDAY, MAY 18. 

At Middlebrook : " The obligation I felt for the visit, 
which your Excellency did me the honor to make me, could 
only be increased by the manner in which you are pleased 
to mention the reception you met with." — Washington to 
Monsieur Gerard. 

While M. Gerard was in camp, he wrote to Count Vergennes, " I have 
had many conversations with General "Washington, some of which have 
continued for three hours. It is impossible for me briefly to communicate 
the fund of intelligence, which I have derived from him, but I shall do it in 
my letters as occasions shall present themselves. I will now say only, that 
I have formed as high an opinion of the powers of his mind, his moderation, 
his patriotism, and his virtues, as I had before from common report con- 
ceived of his military talents and of the incalculable services he has rendered 
to his country." 

TUESDAY, MAY 25. 

At Middlebrook : " The predatory war, which the enemy 
now seem resolved to carry on, will be very distressing. 
Little aid can be afforded from the army in its present situ- 
ation, and the militia appear too ill provided with arms to 
defend themselves. How this can be remedied, and the 
army supplied, I know not." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 



158 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

The British had recently sent a detachment of several ships and twenty- 
five hundred men into the Chesapeake, destroyed a large number of small 
vessels, sacked the town of Portsmouth, burned Suffolk, and carried on 
board a large quantity of tobacco and other plunder, and many negroes. 

MONDAY, MAY 31. 

At Middlebrook : " The expedition you are appointed to 
command is to be directed against the hostile tribes of the 
Six Nations of Indians, with their associates and adherents. 
The immediate objects are the total destruction and devasta- 
tion of their settlements, and the capture of as many pris- 
oners of every age and sex as possible. ... So soon as your 
preparations are in sufl&cient forwardness, you will assemble 
your main body at Wyoming, and proceed thence to Tioga, 
taking from that place the most direct and practicable route 
into the heart of The Indian Settlements." — Washington to 
General John Sullivan. 

The atrocities of the Indians of the Six Nations in the Wyoming Valley, 
Pennsylvania, and their continual raids upon the frontier settlements in New 
York, made this expedition a necessity. General Sullivan collected troops 
at Wyoming, and marched (July 31) up the Susquehanna with about three 
thousand soldiers to Tioga Point, where he met General James Clinton, who 
had come from the Mohawk Valley with about sixteen hundred men to join 
him. On the 29th of August they fell upon some Tories and Indians at 
Chemung (now Elmira), and then pushed onward to the Genesee Kiver, 
when the work of destruction began. On October 20, Washington wrote to 
the Marquis de Lafayette, at Paris, " General Sullivan has compleated the 
entire destruction of the country of the Six Nations ; driven all the Inhabi- 
tants, men, women, and children, out of it ; and is at Easton on his return 
to join this army, with the Troops under his command. He has performed 
this service without losing 40 men, either by the enemy or by sickness. 
While the Six Nations were under this rod of correction, the Mingo and 
Muncy tribes, living on the Aligany, French Creek, and other waters of the 
Ohio above Fort Pitt, met with similar chastisemt. from Colo. Brodhead, 
who with 600 men advanced upon them at the same Instt., and laid waste 
their Country." 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2. 

At Middlebrook : Eeceives and answers an address from 
the " Ministers, Elders, and Deacons of the Dutch Reformed 
Church at Raritan." 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON 159 

THURSDAY, JUNE 3. 

At Middlebrook : " I expect to set out this day towards 
the Highlands, by way of Morris Town" ^Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 6. 

At Ringwood, iTew Jersey: "On the 1st instant in the 
morning, the Enemy opened a Battery at Stony Point, which 
lies on the West side of the Hudson at the landing at King's 
Ferry, against a small detached work at Verplanck's Point, 
on the East side, and kept up a constant fire upon it, in con- 
junction with their Ships, till four in the afternoon, when 
the party stationed in it, finding that it was also invested on 
the land side in force, surrendered by capitulation." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress. 

Ringwood, known in the Revolutionary period as Ringwood Iron-Works, 
is a village in Passaic County, New Jersey, thirty miles northeast of Mor- 
ristown and close to the New York line. 

MONDAY, JUNE 7. 

At Smith's Tavern in the Clove: Orderly Book. — "The 
army is to encamp till further orders." 

"June 10th. — Smith's Clove [Orange County, New York] is a fine level 
plain of rich land, situated at the foot of the high mountains on the west 
side of Hudson river. It is about fourteen miles in the rear of the garrison 
at West Point, and surrounded on all sides by the high lands. The few 
families who reside here find a profitable employment in cultivating the 
fertile soil. Our brigade marched from quarters at Middlebrook on the 2d 
instant, and arrived at Morristown, where we received orders to leave all 
our heavy baggage, and proceed with all possible expedition, as the enemy 
was advancing towards West Point. Marched rapidly through Troy, 
Pompton and Ringwood, and on the 7th instant, encamped in the Clove." 
— Thacher's Military Journal. 

FRIDAY, JUNE 11. 

At Smith's Tavern : " We have taken post for the present 
with the main body of the army in this Clove, where we are 
as well situated, as we could be anywhere else, to succor the 



IGO ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

forts [on the Hudson] in case the future operations of the 
enemy should be directed against them." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

Smith's Tavern was at the upper end of the Clove. Its location is given 
in the copy of a contemporary map, published in Lossing's " Life of Wash- 
ington," vol. ii. 543. 

MONDAY, JUNE 14. 

At Smith's Tavern : Orderly Book. — " As the Commander- 
in-Chief sits out to-Day for "West Point, and may be absent 
two or three Days, Major Gen^ Putnam will take the Com- 
mand of the troops in this Camp till his return." 

"Washington remained in the Clove until the afternoon of June 21, when 
he set out for New Windsor, on the Hudson, six miles above West Point. 
Here he "established his head-quarters in the William Ellison house on the 
hill immediately south of the village. The house was removed many years 
ago."* On the 22d, Washington visited West Point, and on the 24th he 
was present at the celebration of the festival of St. John the Baptist, by the 
"American Union Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons," at the 
"Kobinson House," a little below West Point, on the opposite side of the 
river. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 27. 

At l!Tew Windsor, l^ew York : " Your letter of yesterday 
came safe to my hands, and by the Dragoon, who was the 
bearer of it, I send you two guineas for C r." — Wash- 
ington to Major Tallmadge. 

General Washington always had spies in New York. C r, referred to 

in this letter, called in a later one Culper, had acted for a long time in that 
capacity. His intelligence was of great importance. 

SUNDAY, JULY 4. 

At ISTew Windsor : Orderly Booh — " This day being the 
anniversary of our glorious independence, will be com- 
memorated by the firing of thirteen cannon from West 
Point at 1 o'clock p.m. The Commander-in-Chief thinks 

* Euttenber's " History of Orange County," p. 143. 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 161 

proper to grant a general pardon to all prisoners in this 
army, under sentence of death. They are to be released 
from confinement accordingly." 

Washington left head-quarters in the morning of July 6, to visit the out- 
posts helow, and those which had been established by the enemy. He re- 
turned in the afternoon of the 7th. 

FKIDAT, JULY 9. 

At New Windsor : " While the enemy are making ex- 
cursions to distress the country, it has a very disagreeable 
aspect to remain in a state of inactivity on our part. The 
reputation of the army, and the good of the service, seem 
to exact some attempt from it. The importance of Stony 
Point to the enemy makes it infinitely desirable, that this 
post could be the object. The works are formidable, but 
perhaps on a fuller examination they may be found accessi- 
ble. ... I beg you to inform yourself all you can, and to 
give me your opinion of the practicability of an attempt 
upon this post. If it is undertaken, I should conceive it 
ought to be done by way of surprise in the night." — Wash- 
ington to General Wayne. 

SATUKDAY, JULY 10. 

At ISTew Windsor: "I have received your favors from 
Luddington's and Heading. It gives me great concern to 
hear of the ravages of the enemy. The conduct of the 
militia at ]^ew Haven does them the highest honor." — 
Washington to General Parsons. 

The British, under General Try on and General Garth, landed near New 
Haven on the 5th of July, and the next day entered the town, plundered it, 
and burned the public stores. In approaching the town they were bravely 
met by the militia, of whom twenty-seven were killed and nineteen wounded. 

SUNDAY, JULY 11. 

At New Windsor : " I request, that you will endeavour, 
as far as opportunity will permit, to ascertain as precisely 
as you can what number of houses they [the enemy] have 

12 



162 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

destroyed in their expedition up the Sound." — Washington 
to General Parsons. 

According to General Parsons' returns in compliance with the above 
request, the enemy burnt in Fairfield, on the 9th of July, ninety-seven 
dwelling-houses, sixty-seven barns, forty-eight stores, two meeting-houses, 
a church, court-house, jail, and two school-houses. In Norwalk, they burnt, 
on the 11th of July, one hundred and thirty dwelling-houses, eighty-seven 
barns, twenty-two stores, seventeen shops, four mills, one church, one meet- 
ing-house. At New Haven the whole loss amounted to $112,647; at Pair- 
field, $181,366 ; at Norwalk, $166,868; at Greenwich, $29,935. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14. 

At New Windsor : " I have reflected on the advantages 
and disadvantages of delaying the proposed attempt [on 
Stony Point], and I do not know but the latter preponder- 
ate. You will therefore carry it into execution to-morrow 
night, as you desire, unless some new motive or better in- 
formation should induce you to think it best to defer it. 
You are at liberty to choose between the diiferent plans on 
which we have conversed." — Washington to General Wayne. 

THURSDAY, JULY 15. 

At Fort Montgomery : " This day General "Wayne marched 
down towards Stony Point, to take a view of the enemy, 
and, if an opportunity offers, to attempt something serious. 
I therefore wish you to put your brigade in motion about 
midnight, and march that way in order to act as his situa- 
tion may make it necessary." — Washington to General Muh- 
lenberg. 

^'■July. — To Expences in Eecon^ the Enemy's Post at Stony Point previ- 
ous to the assault of it, & on a visit to it after it was taken . . £10.10," — 
Washington's Accounts. 

FEIDAY, JULY 16. 

At New Windsor : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief is happy to congratulate the army on the success of 
our arms under Brig. Gen. Wayne, who last night, with the 
corps of light infantry, surprised and took the enemy's post 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 163 

at Stony Point, with the whole garrison, cannon and stores, 
with very inconsiderable loss on our side." 

^^ stony Point IG*" July 1779 2 o'clock a.m. Dear Gen'— The fort & Gar- 
rison with Col° Johnston are ours. Our Officers & men behaved like men 
who are determined to be free^ Yours most sincerely, 

" Ant'y Wayne." 

TUESDAY, JULY 20. 

At New Windsor : " They [the enemy] have now brought 
their whole force up the river, and yesterday they landed a 
body at Stony Point." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

It having been found that the maintenance of Stony Point would require 
a large body of men, and from the nature of the works, which had been 
constructed solely against an attack by land, it was decided to destroy them, 
remove the cannon and stores, and evacuate the post. This was accordingly 
done on the night of July 18. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 

, At West Point : Washington made West Point his head- 
quarters on the 21st of July, and remained there till l^ovem- 
ber 28, when the army went into winter-quarters. It was 
during this period that the strong works at this fortress and 
its vicinity were chiefly constructed. 

The house occupied by Washington as head-quarters was situated in what 
is now called Washington's Valley, about a mile to the north of West Point. 
It was designated in general orders as " Moore's House," and was built prior 
to 1749 by John Moore, a prominent merchant of New York, and grand- 
father of the celebrated Bishop of Virginia, Richard Channing Moore. The 
house must have been a large and costly structure, being known in its day as 
" Moore's Folly," and is so marked on a plan of " Hudson' s-River from New- 
York to Albany,'' included in Blodget's " Prospective Plan of the Battle 
fought near Lake George on the 8"" of September 1755," published at 
Boston in December of that year. The property, containing about eighteen 
hundred acres, which included West Point, was sold to the United States, 
in 1790, by Stephen Moore, a son of John Moore. 

THURSDAY, JULY 29. 

At West Point : " I have a pleasure in acknowledging the 
receipt of your obliging favor of the 15th inst, and in find- 



164 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

ing by it, that the author of the Queries, ' Political and Mili- 
tary^ * has had no great cause to exult in the favorable 
reception of them by the public. "Without a clue, I should 
have been at no great loss to trace the malevolent writer." 

— Washington to Joseph Reed. 

" Many and pointed orders have been issued against the unmeaning and 
abominable custom of swearing ; notwithstanding which, with much regret, 
the General observes that it prevails, if possible, more than ever. His feel- 
ings are continually wounded by the oaths and imprecations of the soldiers 
whenever he is in hearing of them. The name of that Being from whose 
bountiful goodness we are permitted to exist and enjoy the comforts of life, 
is incessantly imprecated and profaned in a manner as wanton as it is shock- 
ing. For the sake therefore of religion, decency, and order, the General 
hopes and trusts that officers of every rank will use their influence and 
authority to check a vice which is as unprofitable as it is wicked and shame- 
ful. If officers would make it an invariable rule to reprimand, and if that 
does not do, punish soldiers for offences of this kind, it could not fail of 
having the desired effect." — Orderly Book, July 29. 

FKIDAY, JULY 30. 

At West Point : " Lord Cornwallis is undoubtedly arrived 
[from England] and I have information, which bears all the 
marks of authenticity, that Admiral Arbuthnot, with the 
grand fleet, left Torbay the 26th of May, as it is said, with 
seven thousand troops, Hessians and British, for America." 

— Washington to General Wayne. 

Lord Cornwallis went to England in December, 1778, on account of the 
severe illness of his wife, who died soon afterward. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1. 

At West Point : " From what causes it proceeds I shall 

* These " Queries" were written by General Charles Lee, and printed 
anonymously in the Maryland Journal, a paper published by William God- 
dard, a friend of General Lee. The "Queries" were penned in a very 
malignant spirit, and were designed to injure General Washington, as far as 
it could be done by such an effusion of spleen and ill temper. Much indig- 
nation was expressed against Goddard when the " Queries" appeared in his 
paper. 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 165 

not undertake to say, but so the fact is, that we are laboring 
under the effects of two of the greatest evils, that can befall 
a state of war, namely, a reduced army at the beginning of 
a campaign, which more than probably is intended for a 
decisive one, and want of money, or rather a redundancy of 
it, by which it is become of no value." — Washington to Ed- 
mund Randolph. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 23. 

At West Point : " I have the honor to enclose to your 
Excellency Major Lee's report of the surprise & capture 
[August 19] of the garrison of Powles Hook [Jersey City]. 
The Major displayed a remarkable degree of prudence, 
address, enterprise, and bravery, upon this occasion, which 
does the highest honor to himself and to all the officers and 
men under his command." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. 

At "West Point : " Admiral Arbuthnot, with about 3 or 
4000 troops, is arrived at New York [August 25], and will, 
it is to be presumed, afford Sir Henry Clinton an opportunity 
of displaying his intentions or orders. I every moment look 
for the Chevalier de la Luzerne on his way from Boston to 
Congress." — Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette^ at Paris. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30. 

At "West Point : " I have had great pleasure in the visit, 
which the Chevalier de la Luzerne and Monsieur Marbois 
did me the honor to make at this camp ; for both of whom 
I have imbibed the most favorable impressions, and I thank 
you for the honorable mention you made of me to them. 
. . . The operations of the enemy this campaign have been 
confined to the establishment of works of defence, taking a 
post at King's Ferry, and burning the defenceless towns of 
New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk, on the Sound within 
reach of their shipping, where little else was or could be 



166 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

opposed to them, than the cries of distressed women and 
helpless children; but these were offered in vain." — Wash- 
ington to the Marquis de Lafayette^ at Paris. 

The Chevalier de la Luzerne succeeded M. Gerard as minister from 
France to the United States. He came to America in the same vessel ("La 
Sensible") with John Adams, when the latter returned from his first mission 
to France, landing at Boston, August 2, 1779. The visit to Washington at 
West Point was made in a private capacity, when on his way to Philadelphia 
to exhibit his credentials to Congress. During the four years in which he 
acted as minister, M. de la Luzerne " conducted himself with a prudence, 
wisdom, and concern for their interests, that gained him the esteem and 
affection of the Americans." M. Marbois, who accompanied him as secre- 
tary of legation, remained in this country until 1785, and after the return 
of Luzerne acted as charge d'affaires. In 1803 he was appointed to cede 
Louisiana to the United States for fifty million francs, but had the skill to 
obtain eighty millions, a piece of diplomacy for which he was liberally re- 
warded by Napoleon. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2. 

At "West Point : Orderly Book. — " The following are the 
Uniforms that have been determined for the troops of these 
States respectively as soon as the state of the public supplies 
will permit their being furnished accordingly, and in the 
meantime it is recommended to the Officers to endeavor to 
accommodate their Uniforms to this Standard, that when 
the men come to be supplied there may be a proper uni- 
formity. 

" New Hampshire^ Massachusetts y Rhode Island^ Connecticut 
— Blue faced with "White, Buttons and Lining White. 

" New York, New Jersey — ^Blue faced with Buff, White 
Lining and Buttons. 

" Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia — Blue faced 
mth Red, Buttons and Linings White. 

" North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia — Blue faced with 
Blue, Button-holes edged with narrow white lace or tape, 
Buttons and Linings White. 

" Artillery and Artillery Artificers — Blue faced with Scarlet ; 
Scarlet Lining, Yellow buttons, Yellow bound hats, Coats 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 167 

edged with narrow lace or tape & button-holes bound with 
the same. 

" Light Dragoons — The whole Blue faced with White, 
"White buttons and linings." 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7. 

At West Point : " Permit me, amongst the number of 
your friends, to congratulate you and my country on your 
late honorable and important appointment." — Washington to 
John Jay. 

Mr. Jay was appointed, on the 27th of September, minister plenipoten- 
tiary to Spain, to negotiate treaties of amity and commerce, and to obtain 
loans or subsidies. He sailed from Chester, below Philadelphia, October 26, 
but, being driven to the West Indies by a storm, did not roach Cadiz until 
January 22, 1780, Spain, not having acknowledged the independence of 
the United States, at first refused to receive him as an American minister, 
and he was for some time engaged with Count Florida Blanca, the Spanish 
premier, in informal negotiations. After many months of fruitless labor, 
Mr. Jay, having been appointed a commissioner, proceeded to Paris (June, 
1782), and, with Adams, Franklin, and Laurens, signed the preliminary 
articles of peace between the United States and Great Britain, November 
30, 1782. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21. 

At West Point : "In a letter of the 15th instant from 
General Gates, he writes to me, ' My intelligence from all 
quarters and reports from all stations, announce that the 
enemy are preparing to evacuate Newport. Monday or 
Tuesday it is imagined they will take their departure.' " 
— Washington to the President of Congress. 

The evacuation of Newport took place on the 25th of October. Sir 
Henry Clinton wrote to Lord George Germain that the troops from Rhode 
Island arrived on the 27th, the evacuation having been executed without 
sacrifice or molestation from the enemy, 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 

At West Point : " Stony Point, which has been a bone 
of contention the whole campaign, and the principal busi- 



168 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

ness of it on the part of the enemy, is totally evacuated by 
them. Rhode Island is also abandoned, and the enemy's 
whole force is drawn to a point at New York." — Washington 
to Edmund Pendleton. 

Stony Point and Verplanck's Point had been at first taken by the British 
with a view to offensive operations against "Washington's army. When 
such a movement was found impracticable, and a Southern expedition was 
resolved upon, it was determined to evacuate these posts. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11. 

At West Point: "Being absent from Head-Qrs. on a 
visit to several out-posts of the army, when your favor of 
the 2d instant arrived, and not returning till last night, it 
was not in my power to answer it before." — Washington to 
General Daportail. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 

At "West Point : " Whereas by the sudden movement of 
the Army to winter quarters it will be difficult to procure 
the necessary supplies of Forage, which by your represen- 
tation cannot be furnished unless you are authorized to 
impress the same, therefore you are hereby authorized 
where Forage & pasture cannot otherwise be procured, by 
yourself or Assistants & Forage masters to impress the neces- 
sary Forage for the Army on the march of the Army through 
the State of New York and New Jersey to their winter Sta- 
tions, when this warrant is to cease, and you are to pay par- 
ticular attention to have the Inhabitants satisfied for their 
Forage & to take as equaly as possible from each according 
to what can be spared." — Washington to Clement Biddle, 
Commissary- General of Forage j MS. Letter, 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24. 

At West Point : " I am now using my best endeavours to 
get things in train for putting the army in quarters. The 
instant matters will permit, I shall go forward myself." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 



1779] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 169 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29. 

At Peekskill, JS'ew York : " I am now thus far on my 
way to Jersey, and I shall put the Virginia Troops in motion, 
as soon as it can be done, for Philadelphia." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

^^November 30. — Early in the morning Gen. Washington crossed the 
Hudson at King's Ferry, into the Jersies." — HeaWs Memoirs. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7. 

At Morristown, New Jersey : " "We have taken up our 
quarters at this place for the winter. The main army lies 
within three or four miles of the town." — Washington to 
Governor Livingston. 

Washington's head-quarters at Morristown (where he arrived December 
1) were at the residence of the widow of Colonel Jacob Ford, who had com- 
manded a regiment of Morris County militia during the retreat through 
New Jersey in 1776. The house, which is still standing, is situated on 
Morris Avenue (formerly the Newark and Morristown turnpike), about 
half a mile northeast of the public square. It is now in possession of the 
"Washington Association of New Jersey," incorporated March 20, 1874, 
for the purpose of maintaining it " through future generations sacred with 
its peculiar historic associations." 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16. 

At Morristown : " The situation of the Army with respect 
to supplies, is beyond description, alarming. It has been 
five or six weeks past on half-allowance, and we have not 
more than three days bread at a third allowance, on hand, 
nor any where within reach. When this is exhausted, we 
must depend on the precarious gleanings of the neighbor- 
ing country. Our magazines are absolutely empty every 
where, and our commissaries entirely destitute of money or 
credit to replenish them. We have never experienced a 
like extremity at any period of the war. We have often 
felt temporary want from accidental delays in forwarding 
supplies, but we always had something in our magazines, 
and the means of procuring more. Neither one nor the 



170 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1779 

other is, at present, the case. This representation is the 
result of a minute examination of our resources." — Wash- 
ington to Joseph Heed. 

MONDAY, DECEMBEK 27. 

At Morristown : Present at the celebration of the festival 
of St. John the Evangelist by the " American Union Lodge 
of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons." 

" In the Morris Hotel, a building then used as a commissary's store- 
house, the chief often participated in the rites of Free-masonry, in a room 
over the bar, which was reserved for a ball-room and for the meetings of the 
Masonic Lodge." — Lossing's Field-Book, i. 307. 



1780. 



SATUEDAY, JANUAKY 8. 

At Morristown : " The present situation of the army with 
respect to provisions, is the most distressing of any we have 
experienced since the beginning of the war. For a fort- 
night past the troops, both officers and men, have been 
almost perishing for want. They have been alternately 
without bread or meat the whole time, with a very scanty 
allowance of either and frequently destitute of both." — 
Washington to the Magistrates of New Jersey. 

'■'■January^ 1780. — The weather for several days has been remarkably cold 
and stormy. On the 3d instant, we experienced one of the most tremendous 
snow-storms ever remembered ; no man could endure its violence many 
minutes without danger of his life. Several marquees were torn asunder 
and blown down over the officers' heads in the night, and some of the sol- 
diers were actually covered while in their tents, and buried like sheep under 
the snow. . . . The snow is now from four to six feet deep, which so ob- 
structs the roads as to prevent our receiving a supply of provisions. For 
the last ten days we have received but two pounds of meat a man, and we 
are frequently for six or eight days entirely destitute of meat, and then as 
long without bread. The consequence is, the soldiers are so enfeebled from 
hunger and cold, as to be almost unable to perform their military duty, or 
labor in constructing their huts." — Thacher^s Military Journal. 

SUNDAY, JANUAEY 9. 

At Morristown : " Circumstanced as things are — men 
half-starved — imperfectly cloathed — riotous — and robbing 
the Country people of their subsistence from shear necessity 
I think it scarcely possible to embrace any moment how- 
ever favourable in other respects for visiting the enemy on 
Staten Island, and yet if this frost should have made a firm 
and solid bridge between them and us I should be unwilling 

171 



172 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

— indeed I cannot relinquish the idea of attempting it." — 
Washington to General Irvine. 

MONDAY, JANUAKY 10. 

At Morristown : "I have determined in case the present 
condition of the Ice and prospect of its continuance will 
warrant the enterprise, to make an attempt upon the ene- 
my's quarters and posts on Staten Island." — Washington to 
General Irvine, MS. Letter. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUAKY 12. 

At Morristown : " Friday Evening is determined upon for 
the execution of the intended enterprise, unless prevented by 
the intervention of "Weather or some unforeseen accident." 
— Washington to General Irvine. 

'■'■January 17th. — A detachment consisting of about two thousand five 
hundred men, under the command of Major-General Lord Stirling, was a 
few days since sent off in about five hundred sleighs on a secret expedition. 
The sleighs were procured and preparations made, under the pretence of 
going into the country after provisions. It is now ascertained that the 
object of the expedition was to attack the enemy in their works on Staten 
Island by surprize. Our party passed over on the ice from Elizabethtown 
in the night (January 14), but the enemy having received intelligence of 
their design, retired into their strong works for safety, and the object of the 
enterprize was unfortunately defeated ; they, however, brought off a quantity 
of blankets and stores. The snow was three or four feet deep, and the 
weather extremely cold, and our troops continued on the island twenty-four 
hours without covering, and about five hundred were slightly frozen and 
six were killed by a party of horse, who pursued our rear guard. A num- 
ber of tents, arms, and a quantity of baggage, with several casks of wine 
and spirits, were brought off, with seventeen prisoners." — Thacher's Mili- 
tary Journal, 

SATUKDAY, JANUAEY 22. 

At Morristown : " I have been at my prest. quarters since 
the Ist day of Deer, and have not a Kitchen to cook a 
Dinner in, altho' the Logs have been put together some con- 
siderable time by my own Guard. Nor is there a place at 
this moment in which a servant can lodge, with the smallest 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 173 

degree of comfort. Eighteen belonging to my family, and 
all Mrs. Ford's, are crowded together in her Kitchen, and 
scarce one of them able to speak for the colds they have 
caught." — Washington to General Greene. 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27. 

At Morristown : " You will be pleased to repair to our 
lines and investigate the causes of the late misfortune and 
disgrace at Elizabeth Town, and report your opinion there- 
upon, as soon as inquiry is made." — Washington to General 
St. Clair. 

A detachment of British troops commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Bush- 
kirk, crossed over from Staten Island at Trembly's Point, and entered Eliza- 
bethtown between eleven and twelve o'clock in the night of the 25th of 
January. It consisted of one hundred dragoons, and between three and 
four hundred infantry. They took several prisoners, burnt the meeting- 
house, town-house, and another building, plundered some of the inhabitants, 
and retired without loss. 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29. 

At Morristown : " "With respect to provision, the situation 
of the army is comfortable at present on this head, and I 
ardently pray, that it may never be again as it has been of 
late. We were reduced to a most painful and delicate ex- 
tremity ; such as rendered the keeping of the troops together 
a point of great doubt. The exertions of the magistrates 
and inhabitants of this State were great and cheerful for 
our relief." — Washington to Elbridge Gerry. 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4. 

At Morristown : " I thank your Excellency for the agree- 
able intelligence you gave me of his Most Christian Majesty's 
intentions to send over succors of arms and ammunition. 
It is a new and valuable proof of his friendship, and will 
be of essential utility." — Washington to the Chevalier de la 
Luzerne. 

'■^Fehruary 14th. — Having continued to this late season in our tents, ex- 
periencing the greatest inconvenience, we have now the satisfaction of taking 



174 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

possession of the log huts, just completed by our soldiers, where we shall 
have more comfortable accommodations." — Thacher^s Military Journal. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15. 

At Morristown : " I am mucli indebted to your Excellency 
for announcing my election as a member of the [American] 
Philosophical Society. I feel myself particularly honored 
by this relation to a society, whose successful efforts for pro- 
moting useful knowledge have already justly acquired for 
them the highest reputation in the literary world." — Wash- 
ington to Joseph Reed. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29. 

At Morristown : " "We have opened an assembly at Camp. 
From this apparent ease, I suppose it is thought we must be 
in happy circumstances. I vrish it was so, but, alas, it is not. 
[Our provisions are in a manner, gone. We have not a ton 
of hay at command, nor magazine to draw from. Money is 
extremely scarce, and worth little when we get it. We have 
been so poor in camp for a fortnight, that we could not for- 
ward the public despatches, for want of cash to support the 
expresses." — General Greene to Joseph Reed. 

An engraved fac-simile of the original subscription paper for these as- 
semblies will be found in Smith and "Watson's " Historical and Literary 
Curiosities," published at Philadelphia in 1847. It is as follows : " The Sub- 
scribers agree to pay the sums annexed to their respective Names, and an 
equal quota of any further Expence which may be incurred in the promo- 
tion and support of a dancing assembly to be held in Morristown this 
present Winter 1780. Subscription Monies to be paid into the hands of a 
Treasurer, hereafter to be appointed." The subscribers, thirty-five in num- 
ber, include Washington, whose name heads the list, and opposite to each 
name is set the amount of subscription, four hundred dollars, about eleven 
dollars in specie. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 18. 

At Morristown : " The oldest people now living in this 
country do not remember so hard a winter as the one we 
are now emerging from. In a word, the severity of the 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 175 

frost exceeded anything of the kind that had ever been ex- 
perienced in this climate before." — Washington to the Marquis 
de Lafayette, at Paris. 

" March, 1780.— The present winter is the most severe and distressing, 
which we have ever experienced. An immense body of snow remains on 
the ground. Our soldiers are in a wretched condition for the want of 
clothes, blankets and shoes ; and these calamitous circumstances are accom- 
panied by a want of provisions. It has several times happened that the 
troops were reduced to one-half, or to one-quarter allowance, and some 
days have passed without any meat or bread being delivered. The causes 
assigned for these extraordinary deficiencies, are the very low state of the 
public finances, in consequence of the rapid depreciation of the continental 
currency, and some irregularity in the commissary's department. Our 
soldiers, in general, support their sufferings with commendable firmness, but 
it is feared that their patience will be exhausted, and very serious conse- 
quences ensue." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SUNDAY, APEIL 2. 

At Morristown : " I have received inteUigence, which 
seems to place it beyond doubt, that the Enemy are about 
to make a further embarkation of Troops from New York, 
and the common opinion is, that they are going to reinforce 
Sir Henry Clinton." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

The first embarkation of troops for the invasion of South Carolina, 
amounting to between five and six thousand men, left Sandy Hook, Decem- 
ber 26, 1779, under convoy of five ships of the line and several frigates, 
commanded by Admiral Arbuthnot. General Clinton and Lord Cornwallis 
went with them. The second detachment, referred to above, consisting of 
twenty-five hundred men, sailed from New York, April 7. 

"WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19. 

At Morristown : " April 19. — The Chevalier de la Luzerne, 
Minister of France, with another French gentleman, and 
Don Juan de Miralles, a gentleman of distinction from 
Spain, arrived at headquarters from Philadelphia, in com- 
pany with his Excellency General "Washington. . . . Gen- 
eral Washington accompanied his illustrious visitors to take 
a distant view of the enemy's position and works on York 
and Staten island, and of the different posts of our army, 



176 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

while preparations were making for a grand field review of 
our troops." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

In giving an account to M. de Vergennes of his visit to camp, M. de la' 
Lazeme said, " The time which I passed with General Washington has 
convinced me more than ever of the very great advantage which the re- 
public derives from his services. His virtues have gained for him the affec- 
tion of the army which he commands, and the confidence and respect of the 
generals and other officers." 

MONDAY, APKIL 24. 

At Morristown : ^^ April 24th. — A field of parade being 
prepared under the direction of the Baron Steuben, four 
battalions of our army were presented for review, by the 
French minister, attended by his Excellency and our gen- 
eral officers. Thirteen cannon, as usual, announced their 
arrival in the field, and they received from the officers and 
soldiers the military honors due to their exalted rank. . . . 
In the evening. General Washington and the French min- 
ister, attended a ball [at the Morris Hotel] provided by our 
principal officers, at which were present a numerous collec- 
tion of ladies and gentlemen of distinguished character 

On the 25th, the whole army was paraded under arms, to 
afiford M. de la Luzerne another opportunity of reviewing 
the troops, after which he was escorted part of the way to 
Philadelphia. The Spanish gentleman remained danger- 
ously sick of a pulmonic fever at head quarters, and on the 
28th he expired." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SATUEDAT, APRIL 29. 

At Morristown : " The Remains of Don Juan de Mirailes 
are to be inter'd this afternoon at Morris Town. The 
funeral procession will move from Head Quarters between 
4 and 5 o'clock. It is His Excellency's desire that all the 
Officers who can attend consistent with the safety and police 
of the Camp should be invited to the funeral — as he wishes 
to show all possible respect to the memory of a very respec- 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 177 

table subject of tbe King of Spain." — Colonel Scammell to 
General Irvine, MS. Letter. 

" April 29tli — I accompanied Doctor Schuyler to head quarters, to attend 
the funeral of M. de Miralles. The deceased was a gentleman of high rank 
in Spain, and had been about one year a resident with our Congress, from 
the Spanish Court. The corpse was dressed in rich state, and exposed to 
public view, as is customary in Europe. . . . His Excellency General Wash- 
ington, with several other general officers, and members of Congress, attended 
the funeral solemnities, and walked as chief mourners. The other officers of 
the army, and numerous respectable citizens, formed a splendid procession, 
extending about one mile." — Thacher's Military Journal, 

SUNDAY, APKIL 30. 

At Morristown : " I am extremely sorry to communicate 
to your Excellency, tbe painful intelligence of tbe deatb of 
Don Juan de Miralles. Tbis unfortunate event happened 
at my quarters the day before yesterday, and bis remains 
were yesterday interred with all tbe respect due to bis char- 
acter and merit." — Washington to Don Diego Navarro, Gov- 
ernor of Cuba. 

Don Juan de Marailles was supposed to be an unofficial agent of the Span- 
ish government, but had no instructions directly from the court. Congress 
showed every mark of respect to this agent which was due to his personal 
character, but carefully avoided treating with him in any public capacity, 
except through the intervention of the French minister. 

TUESDAY, MAY 9. 

At Morristown : " Our brigade was paraded for inspec- 
tion and review by Baron Steuben, in tbe presence of bis 
Excellency General Washington. The troops appeared to 
much advantage, and the officers received tbe thanks of the 
Baron for the military and soldierly appearance of the 
men." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SUNDAY, MAY 14. 

At Morristown : " The arrival of the Marquis de La- 
fayette opens a prospect, which offers tbe most important 
advantages to these States, if proper measures are adopted 

13 



178 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

to improve it. He announces an intention of his court to 
send a fleet and army to cooperate effectually with us." — 
Washington to James Duane. 

The Marquis de Lafayette sailed from Boston January 11, 1779, in the 
new American frigate "Alliance," and arrived at Paris February 12. He 
took much pains in laying before Count de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign 
Affairs, a clear and correct statement of the situation of the United States, 
and on his own responsibility urged him to send a land force as well as a 
fleet to co-operate with Washington's army. These views were supported 
by D'Estaing, who had returned to France, and they were adopted by 
the ministry in sending out the auxiliary force of six thousand men under 
Count de Kochambeau, which arrived at Rhode Island July 10, 1780. La- 
fayette sailed from Rochelle, in the French frigate " Hermione," March 19, 
and arrived in Boston harbor April 27. He at once informed Washington 
that he had affairs of the utmost importance which he should, at first, com- 
municate to him alone, and on the 2d of May set out for head-quartei's, 
which he reached on the 10th. 

MONDAY, MAY 29. 

At Morristown: "Jfa?/ 29th — Four battalions of our 
troops were paraded for review by the committee of Con- 
gress, in the presence of General Washington ; they were 
duly honored with the military salute." — Thacher's Military 
Journal. 

The committee of Congress, consisting" of Philip Schuyler, John Mathews, 
and Nathaniel Peabody, had been instructed to proceed to head-quarters, 
and, in conjunction with the Commander-in-Chief, to effect such reforms 
and changes in all the departments of the army as its condition required. 
In a report, which they made to Congress soon after their arrival, the com- 
mittee represented " that the army was five months unpaid ; that it seldom 
had more than six days provisions in advance, and was on several occasions, 
for sundry successive days, without meat ; that the army was destitute of 
forage ; that the medical department had neither sugar, tea, chocolate, wine, 
nor spirits ; and that every department was without money, or even the 
shadow of credit." j 

THURSDAY, JUNE 1. 

At Morristown : " We have received advice from !N'ew 
York, published by authority, of the surrender of Charles- 
ton. As I dare say you will have seen the hand-bill, and. 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 179 

as I am pressed for time, I shall not go into particulars." — 

Washington to General Robert Howe. 

The surrender of Charleston to Sir Henry Clinton, with the garrison, 
commanded by Major-General Lincoln, took place on the 12th of May. It 
remained in the possession of the British until December 14, 1782. Clinton 
sailed from Charleston, with Admiral Arbuthnot, on the 5th of June, leaving 
Cornwallis in chief command of the British troops at the South. He arrived 
at New York June 17. 

"WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7. 

At 'Springfield, New Jersey : The enemy having landed 
on the night of June 6 at Elizabethtown Point, and advanced 
the next morning to within half a mile of Springfield, "Wash- 
ington put the army in motion and reached the Short Hills, 
or heights of Springfield, ten miles southeast of Morristown, 
in the afternoon of the 7th. After some skirmishing, the 
enemy retired in the night to Elizabethtown Point. It was 
on this occasion that Mrs. Caldwell, the wife of the Rev. 
James Caldwell, was shot by a British soldier while sitting 
in her house, at Connecticut Farms, in the midst of her 
children. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 18. 

At Springfield : Orderly Book. — " As it is at all times of 
great importance both for the sake of appearance and for 
the regularity of service that the different military Ranks 
should be distinguished from each other and more especially 
at present, 

" The Commander in Chief has thought proper to estab- 
lish the following distinctions and strongly recommends it 
to all the Ofiicers to endeavor to Conform to them as 
speedily as possible. 

" The Major General to wear a blue coat with Buff facings 
and lining — yellow buttons — -'white or buff undercloaths two 
Epaulets, with two Stars upon each and a black and white 
Feather in the Hat. 

" The Brigadier Generals the same uniform as the Major 



180 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

Generals with the difference of one Star instead of two and 
a white feather. 

" The Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and Majors the uni- 
forms of their regiments * and two Epaulettes. 

" The Captains ; the uniforms of their regiments and an 
Epaulette on the right shoulder. 

" The Subalterns, — the uniform of their regiment and an 
Epaulette on the left shoulder." 

TUESDAY, JUNE 20. 

At Springfield : " In a struggle like ours — perplexed with 
embarrassments — ^if it should be my fortune to conduct the 
Military helm in such a manner as to merit the approbation 
of good men and my suffering fellow Citizens it will be the 
primary happiness of my life because it is the first & great 
object of my wishes." — Washington to Robert Morris. 

Washington remained at Springfield until June 21, when, suspecting a 
design against West Point, the army commenced moving slowly to the 
North Eiver, arriving the following day at Kockaway Bridge, about eleven 
miles north of Morristown. On the 23d, the enemy having advanced in 
force from Elizabethtown, the army moved back five or six miles, to be more 
in supporting distance. After burning the village of Springfield, the British 
retired the same day to their former position, and in the night crossed over 
to Staten Island, and took up their bridge. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 25. 

At Whippany, New Jersey : " On receiving intelligence 
of the Enemy's withdrawing from the Point, all the Troops 
were put under marching orders for the North River ; but 
the weather prevented them from commencing their march 
before this morning." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 27. 

At Ramapo, New Jersey: "Before this time, the Con- 
necticut division will probably have joined you [at West 

* For the General Order prescribing the uniforms for the troops of the 
different States, see page 166. 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 181 

Point]. The rest of the army arrived here yesterday. The 
delay, which has occurred, makes it probable, that the 
enemy either had not any intention, or have relinquished 
the project, of attacking West Point." — Washington to Gen- 
eral Robert Howe. 

Ramapo was a small settlement on the Ramapo River in Bergen County, 
New Jersey, about five miles south of the present Suffern's Station on the 
New York and Erie Railway, and nearly seven miles below the present 
village of Ramapo, in New York. Washington remained at Ramapo until 
July 1, when he made his head-quarters at Preakness, about five miles 
northwest of Passaic Falls (now in the city of Paterson), occupying the 
house of Colonel Theunis Dey, until the 29th, when the army left for the 
North River. The " Dey House" is still standing, and " a century ago, 
must have been one of the finest in New Jersey, for it is yet remarkable 
for its architectural symmetry and the artistic finish of the masonry."* 

y 

TUESDAY, JULY 4. 

At Preakness, New Jersey : " "We are in hourly expecta- 
tion of a considerable French land and sea force, which is 
intended to cooperate with us against the common enemy. 
"We are for this purpose endeavouring to draw out a com- 
petent reinforcement of men and supplies to enable us, in 
conjunction with our allies, to strike decisively at the Enemy. 
I fear we shall notwithstanding the emergency of the oc- 
casion fall very short of the number of men required." — 
Washington to Colonel Daniel Brodhead, at Fort Pitt, MS. 
Letter. 

THURSDAY, JULY 6. 

At Preakness : " I give it decisively as my opinion — that 
unless the States will content themselves with a full and 
well-chosen representation in Congress and vest that body 
with absolute powers in all matters relative to the great 
purposes of war, and of general concern (by which the 
States unitedly are affected, reserving to themselves all 

* " Washington's Headquarters at Preakness," by William Nelson, 
Magazine of American History^ iii. 490. 



182 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

matters of local and internal polity for the regulation of 
order and good government) we are attempting an impossi- 
bility, and very soon shall become (if it is not already the 
case) a many-headed monster — a heterogeneous mass — that 
never will or can steer to the same point." — Washington to 
Fielding Lewis. 

FKIDAY, JULY 14. 

At Preakness : " I have the honor to inform Congress, 
that I have this moment received a letter from Major General 
Heath, dated Providence on the 11th, informing that the 
afternoon of the 10th the French fleet arrived oiF Newport, 
that the signals of recognizance had been made, and the 
fleet was standing into the harbor when the express came 
away." — Washington to the President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, JULY 16. 

At Preakness : " I hasten to impart to you the happiness 
I feel at the welcome news of your arrival ; and, as well in 
the name of the American army, as in my own, to present 
you with an assurance of our warmest sentiments for allies, 
who have so generously come to our aid. As a citizen of 
the United States, and as a soldier in the cause of liberty, 
I thankfully acknowledge this new mark of friendship from 
his Most Christian Majesty, and I feel a most grateful sensi- 
bility for the flattering confidence he has been pleased to 
honor me with on this occasion." — Washington to the Count 
de Bochambeau. 

As soon as the Count de Rochambeau arrived at Newport, he wrote to 
General Washington, and enclosed a copy of his instructions from the King 
and an account of his voyage. 

WEDNESDAY JULY 19. 

At Preakness : " By despatches received last evening from 
the Count de Rochambeau, I am informed, that the French 
Fleet and Army, consisting of eight Ships of the Line, two 
Frigates, and two Bombs, and upwards of five thousand 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 183 

men, have arrived at Newport." — Washington to General 
Greene. 

"The Commander-in-chief has the pleasure to congratulate the army on 
the arrival of a large land and naval armament at Rhode Island, sent by his 
Most Christian Majesty to cooperate with the troops of these States against 
the common enemy, accompanied with every circumstance that can render 
it honorable and useful." — Orderly Book, July 20. 

SUNDAY, JULY 23. 

At Preakness : " July 23d. — Sunday I attended a sermon 
preached by Mr. Blair, chaplain of the artillery. The troops 
were paraded in the open field, the sermon was well calcu- 
lated to inculcate religious principles, and the moral virtues. 
His Excellency General Washington, Major Generals Greene 
and Knox, with a number of other officers were present." — 
Thacher's Military Journal. 

MONDAY, JULY 24. 

At Preakness: "The intelligence I have received from 
difierent quarters is of the same nature as that of yours, 
and speaks of an embarkation destined against our allies at 
Ehode Island," — Washington to General Robert Howe. 

THURSDAY, JULY 27. 

At Preakness : " Mr. Clinton still continues to threaten 
your countrymen with a combined attack. You will judge, 
as well as I, of the probability of his being sincere ; but I 
have put the troops here under marching orders, and I 
have ordered those at West Point to King's Ferry. If 
Clinton moves in force to Rhode Island, we may possibly 
be able to take advantage of it." — Washington to the Marquis 
de Lafayette. 

" According to orders, our brigade marched from Prackanes [Preakness] 
on the 29th of July, and encamped at Paramus at night, fifteen miles. The 
men were exceedingly affected with the heat and fatigue. "We marched on 
the succeeding day at two o'clock in the morning. . . . We arrived at the 
North river and crossed the ferry [King's Ferry], August 1st, where we 



184 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

found the whole of our army collecting to a point." — Thacher's Military 
Journal. 

MONDAY, JULY 31. 

At the " Robinson House" : " I arrived here last night; 
having met your favours of the 25th & 26th at Paramus 
[July 29], where the army then lay. Immediately upon 
hearing that the transports, with the troops, which had been 
some days on board, had sailed Eastward, I put the army 
in motion again. They will cross the Ferry to-day, and will 
be joined by the troops from hence. I propose moving as 
rapidly as possible down towards Kingsbridge, which will 
either oblige the enemy to abandon their project against 
Rhode Island, or may afford us an opportunity of striking 
them to advantage in this quarter." — Washington to General 
Heath. 

The " Robinson House," a little below West Point, on the opposite side of 
the river, was, at the beginning of the war, the country residence of Colonel 
Beverly Eobinson, who married a daughter of Frederick Phillipse, the 
owner of an immense landed estate on the Hudson. Eobinson was a Vir- 
ginian by birth, the son of John Robinson, President of the Council of Vir- 
ginia in 1734, and afterwards Speaker of the House of Burgesses. Though 
opposed to the measures which led to the separation of the colonies from 
the mother-country, he took sides with the loyalists when independence 
was declared. The house is still standing, and possesses considerable his- 
torical interest as having been the head-quarters of Arnold at the time he 
commanded at West Point, and was maturing his plans to surrender that 
post to the British. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1. 

At Peekskill, New York : " "We are thus far, my dear 
Marquis, on our way to New York. To-morrow the whole 
army was to have taken up its line of march, and would 
have moved with all the rapidity in our power to this ob- 
ject, had we not a few hours since received advice from the 
Sound, dated yesterday, that the fleet of transports [of the 
enemy] had put back, and were steering Westward." — 
Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 



1780] 'ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON 185 

" Within Peekskill village, opposite the "West Chester County Bank, is 
the old Birdsall residence, a part of which is a grocery store. This build- 
ing was erected by Daniel Birdsall, one of the founders of the village. It 
was occupied by Washington when the headquarters of the army were 
there." — Lossing'a Field-Book, i. 737. 

THUKSDAY, AUGUST 3. 

At Peekskill : " You are to proceed to West Point, and 
take the command of that post and its dependencies, in 
which all are included from Fishkill to King's Ferry." — 
Washington to General Arnold. —^ 

" It is now ascertained, August 4th, that the formidable manoeuvre of our 
army has effected the object intended. The enemy's expedition to Rhode 
Island has returned to New York, in consequence probably of the alarm 
excited for the safety of that city. Orders are now received, for our army 
to recross the Hudson to the Jersey shore." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5. 

At Peekskill : " In consequence of his [Clinton's] return, 
the army is recrossing the River and will proceed to Dobhs' 
Ferry, about ten miles fi-om Kingsbridge, where we intend 
to establish a communication that will save us considerable 
land transportation, in case New York is our eventual ob- 
ject." — Washington to the Count de Rochamheau. 

^^ August 5th, 1780. — At 4 o'clock in the morning the whole army marched 
by the right, the Infantry in front, and recrossed the river and marched 4 
miles on the road towards Kakeat and encamped for the night. . August 
6th. — Continued on the same ground. . August 7th. — We marched at 2 
o'clock in the morning and halted near Clarkstown, and encamped for the 
night. . August 8th. — We marched at 2 o'clock in the morning, by the 
right and encamped in the neighborhood of Tappan — a most excellent coun- 
try, inhabited chiefly with Low-Dutch." — MS. Diary of Captain Joseph 
McClellan, Pennsylvania Line. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8. 

At Tappan, New York : " "We are now going, agreeably 
to my original design, to establish as soon as possible a com- 
munication for the present across the river at Dobbs' Ferry, 
in order to aid our land transportation and facilitate our 
supplies of bread." — Washington to General Heath. 



186 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

Tappan, or Orangetown, as it was more often called during the Eevolu- 
tionary period, then in Orange (now Rockland) County, New York, was 
about two miles from the western landing at Dobbs' Perry, and close to the 
New Jersey line. While at Tappan, Washington made his head-quarters 
at the De Wint house, a low one-story brick and stone dwelling, which ia 
still standing ; here he remained until the 23d of August, when the army 
moved to Bergen County, New Jersey. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11. 

At Tappan : " We shall have occasion to throw up some 
small works at Dobbs' Ferry, to secure the intended com- 
munication at that place ; and, in order that we may be 
enabled to finish them in the most expeditious manner, you 
will be pleased to order sixty of Colonel Baldwin's Artificers 
to come immediately down here." — Washington to General 
Arnold. 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24. 

At Teaneck, "New Jersey : " You are appointed to the 
command of the Light Infantry, and four brigades from 
your own wing, to be employed upon a forage down to Ber- 
gen, and from thence up to the English neighborhood." — 
Washington to General Greene. 

On the morning of the 23d of August, the army broke camp at Tappan 
and moved ten miles lower down to Teaneck, a ridge of land running north 
and south, about two miles back of the Palisades, Bergen County, New 
Jersey. Washington's head-quarters were at the " Liberty Pole Tavern," 
which stood on ground now intersected by Palisade Avenue, near the centre 
of the present village of Englewood. On the 4th of September, the army 
marched to Steenrapie, three miles northwest of Hackensack, and went into 
camp, remaining until the 20th, when it returned to Tappan. 

An interesting incident of this encampment is recorded by Captain Joseph 
McClellan in his diary, previously quoted from : ^'September 19. — This 
afternoon each officer of the Light Infantry received an elegant small sword 
as a present from the Marquis De La Fayette.' 

MONDAY, AUGUST 28. 

At Teaneck : " The intelligence brought by the Alliance, 
of the second Division [of French troops] being blocked up 
in Brest by thirty-tw^o British ships of the line, has made a 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 187 

material change in the prospects of the Campaign. This, 
and the extreme distress of our Magazines, have determined 
me to dismiss all the Militia in service, except such part as 
was wanted for immediate purposes." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

The frigate " Alliance" arrived at Boston from L'Orient on the 16th of 
August. She had on board two thousand stands of arms, several camion, 
and a quantity of powder for the American army. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. 

At the " Hopper House," Bergen County, New Jersey : 
A council of war, in which it was decided that it was not 
advisable to make any attempt against 'New York till the 
second French division should arrive, or till there should 
be a naval superiority to co-operate with the movements on 
land. 

When the army went into camp at Steenrapie, on September 4, Washing- 
ton made his head-quarters at the " Hopper House," on the road to Morris- 
town, about two miles from the New York line, and four miles south of the 
Ramapo Pass. It was here that he received (September 5) the news of the 
defeat of General Gates at the disastrous battle near Camden, South Caro- 
lina, on the 16th of August ; and from hence he set out on his journey to 
Hartford, on Monday, the 18th of September, to meet Count de Rochambeau 
and Admiral de Ternay, in conference. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. 

At the " Hopper House" : " If convenient to you, I have 
the honor to propose the 20th instant for our interview at 
Hartford, where I hope we shall be able to combine some 
plan of future operation, which events will enable us to 
execute. . . . The Marquis de la Fayette and the Command- 
ant of Artillery & Engineers [M. de Gouvion] will accom- 
pany me." — Washington to the Count de Rochambeau. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 

At Hackensack : In attendance at the funeral of Briga- 
dier-General Enoch Poor. " The corpse was followed by 



188 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

the officers of the l^ew Hampshire brigade ; the officers of 
the brigade of light infantry, which the deceased had lately 
commanded. Other officers fell in promiscuously, and were 
followed by his Excellency General Washington, and other 
general officers." — Thachefs Military Journal, 

General Poor died September 8, from a wound received in a duel with a 
French officer. His remains were interred in the burial-ground of the old 
Keformed Dutch Church, at Hackensack. In a letter to the President of 
Congress, dated September 15, "Washington wrote, " It is with extreme 
regret, that I announce the death of Brigadier-General Poor on the 9th [?] 
instant, an officer of distinguished merit, who as a citizen and a soldier, had 
every claim to the esteem of his country." 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. 

At the " Hopper House" : " The 20th instant is appointed 
for an interview with Count de Rochambeau and the Cheva- 
lier de Ternay, in which we shall probably combine several 
plans, dependent for their execution on diiFerent contin- 
gencies. One of these will be the arrival of a detachment 
from your fleet." — Washington to the Count de Guichen. 

The Chevalier de Ternay also wrote to the Count de Guichen, requesting 
him to send four ships of the line to the coast of the United States ; but he 
had left the West Indies and sailed for France before the letters arrived. 
M. de Monteil, his successor, could not decipher them, and of course no 
reinforcements were forwarded from the fleet. 

"WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. 

At the "Hopper House": ^^ September 13th. — The army 
was paraded to be reviewed by General Washington, accom- 
panied by a number of Indian chiefs. His Excellency, 
mounted on his noble bay charger, rode in front of the line 
of the army, and received the usual salute." — Thachefs 
Military Journal. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 

At the " Hopper House" : " I shall be at Peekskill on 
Sunday evening, on my way to Hartford, to meet the French 
admiral and general. You will be pleased to send down a 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 189 

guard of a captain and fifty men at that time, and direct the 
quartermaster to endeavour to have a night's forage for 
about forty horses." — Washington to General Arnold. 

SATUKDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. 

At the " Hopper House" : " To-morrow I set out for 
Hartford, to have an interview with the French General 
and Admiral. In my absence, the command of the army 
devolves upon you." — Washington to General Greene. 

Washington did not in reality set out till Monday the 18th, having been 
delayed one or two days longer than he expected. On the 20th the army- 
moved back to its old quarters at Tappan. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. 

Leaves Head-Quarters for Hartford : Crosses the Hudson 
at King's Ferry, where he is met by General Arnold, who 
accompanies him to Peekskill, where they pass the night. 
In the morning, Washington resumed his journey, and 
Arnold returned to his quarters at the " Robinson House." 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. 

At Hartford, Connecticut : In conference with the Count 
de Rochambeau and Admiral de Ternay. 

"Upon their appearance in Hartford [Washington and his suite], they 
were received with imposing ceremonies. The Governor's Guards, and a 
company of artillery, were on duty upon the occasion. They saluted Wash- 
ington, as he entered the town, with thirteen guns. Trumbull, and Colonel 
Jeremiah Wadsworth, and other distinguished personages of the State, met 
him as he advanced. They gave him a cordial welcome — and, through 
crowds that rent the air with cheers, and strained to catch a sight of the 
illustrious Commander-in-chief, the latter made his way, together with 
Knox and La Fayette, to the residence of their mutual friend. Colonel 
Wadsworth — there upon the site where the Historical Society of Connecti- 
cut now lifts its walls — and where, in a beautiful mansion, still standing, 
though upon another spot, himself and his principal officers were nobly 
entertained during their stay. The same ceremony was repeated soon after 
Washington came upon the French commander and suite. They were for- 
mally received at the City Landing, after crossing the ferry — and marching 



190 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

to the area in front of the Capitol, were there met hy General Washington 
and his military companions. . . . The interview between the commanders 
was continued at the house of Colonel Wadsworth — whither the parties 
retired." — Stuart's Life of Jonathan Trumbull, p. 485. 

FKIDAT, SEPTEMBEE 22. 

At Hartford : " Thursday night, the Conference was con- 
cluded. Friday saw the French officers start on their re- 
turn to Newport — the Governor's Guards again in martial 
array — escorting the distinguished guests to the River bank, 
while thirteen guns renewedly rent the air." — Life of 
Jonathan Trumbull, p. 488. 

** I was at Hartford, forty leagues distant from here [Newport, Ehode 
Island], with M. de Rochambeau. We were only six, the Admiral, his Chief 
of Engineers [Desandrouins], his son, the Viscomte de Rochambeau, and two 
aids-de-camp, of whom I was one. He had an interview there with Gen- 
eral Washington. M. de Rochambeau sent me in advance, to announce his 
arrival, and I had time to see this man, illustrious, if not unique in our 
century. His handsome and majestic, while at the same time mild and 
open countenance perfectly reflects his moral qualities ; he looks the hero ; 
he is very cold ; speaks little, but is courteous and frank. A shade of sad- 
ness overshadows his countenance, which is not unbecoming, and gives him 
an interesting air. His suite was more numerous than ours. The Marquis 
de Lafayette, General Knox, Chief of Artillery, M. de Gouvion, a French- 
man, Chief of Engineers, and six aids-de-camp [among whom were 
McHenry and Hamilton], accompanied him. He had besides an escort of 
22 dragoons." — Count de Fersen, Magazine of American History^ iii. 305. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. 

Leaves Hartford : " General Washington and suite shook 
hands with the hospitable Wadsworth, the worthy Governor 
Trumbull, and numerous other friends — and, amid volleys 
of huzzas, started for the Head Quarters of the Army." — 
Life of Jonathan Trumbull, p. 488. 

In consequence of an insufficiency of naval force, and the arrival at New 
York of Admiral Rodney, from the West Indies, with a fleet, the Hartford 
conference resulted in no fixed plan of operations. The interview, however, 
was important and serviceable in establishing amicable relations between 
the two commanders. 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 191 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. 

At Litchfield, Connecticut : " On the evening of Satur- 
day, September 23d, 1780, General Washington arrived 
here [Litchfield], on his way from Hartford to West Point, 
and was entertained at the hospitable mansion of General 
Oliver Wolcott, in South street. He spent the night in the 
village, and on the following morning proceeded west- 
ward." — Kilbourne's Chronicles of Litchfield, p. 129. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. 

At the " Robinson House" : " General Arnold is gone to 
the Enemy. I have just now received a line from him, en- 
closing one to Mrs. Arnold, dated on board the Vulture. 
From this circumstance, and Colo. Lamb's being detached 
on some business, the command of the Garrison, for the 
present, devolves on you." — Washington to Colonel Wade, at 
West Point. 

Washington reached Eishkill on his return from Hartford on the after- 
noon of the 24th, soon after leaving which he met M. de Luzerne, the French 
minister, with his suite, on his way to visit the Count de Rochambeau at 
Newport, who induced him to turn back and pass the night at Fishkill. 
He left early the next day, and, after examining the redoubts on the river, 
arrived at the " Robinson House,'' Arnold's head-quarters, about noon, one 
hour after the traitor's escape. 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. 

At the " Robinson House" : " I arrived here yesterday, 
on my return from an interview with the French general 
and admiral, and have been witness to a scene of treason, 
as shocking as it was unexpected. General Arnold, from 
every circumstance, had entered into a plot for sacrificing 
West Point. He had an interview with Major Andre, the 
British adjutant-general, last week at Joshua H. Smith's, 
where the plan was concerted. By an extraordinary con- 
currence of incidents Andre was taken while on his return, 
with several papers in Arnold's hand-writing, that proved 



192 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

the treason. The latter unluckily got notice of it before I 
did, went immediately down the river, got on board the 
Vulture, which brought up Andr^, and proceeded to ITew 
York." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

Major Andre and Joshua Hett Smith were brought to the " Kobinson 
House" on the morning of the 26th, the former from Colonel Sheldon's 
quarters in Lower Salem, and the latter from Fishkill. They were sent 
over to West Point the evening of the same day, and on the morning of the 
28th were conveyed in separate barges down the river to Stony Point, and 
from thence conducted, under a strong escort, to Tappan, where the main 
body of the army was encamped. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 

At the " Robinson House" : " I have concluded to send 
Major Andre of the British army, and Mr. Joshua H. Smith, 
who has had a great hand in carrying on the business 
between him and Arnold to Camp [at Tappan] to-morrow. 
... I intend to return to-morrow morning."— Washington 
to General Greene. 

Joshua Hett Smith, at whose house, near Stony Point, Arnold and Andre 
held their interview (September 22), was tried by a military court and ac- 
quitted. He was soon afterwards arrested by the civil authorities and com- 
mitted to the jail at Goshen, Orange County, whence he escaped and made 
his way through the country, in the disguise of a woman, to New York. 
Smith went to England with the British army at the close of the war, and 
in 1808 published a book in London entitled " An Authentic Narrative of 
the Causes which led to the Death of Major Andre," a work of very little 
reliable authority. He died at New York in 1818. 

THUPvSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. 

At Tappan : Summons a board of general officers to 
examine into the case of Major Andre, adjutant-general of 
the British army. 

The board, which was composed of fourteen general officers. General 
Greene presiding, met on the following day (September 29), and, after ma- 
turely considering the facts, reported, " That Major Andre, Adjutant Gen- 
eral of the British Army, ought to be consider'd as a Spy from the Enemy, 
and that, agreeably to the Law and usage of Nations, it is their opinion he 
ought to suffer death." 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 193 

SUNDAY, OCTOBEK 1. 

At Tappan : Orderly Book. — " Major Andre is to be exe- 
cuted to-morrow at 12 o'clock precisely. A Battalion of 80 
Files from each wing to attend the Execution." 

'^October 2d. — Major Andre is no more among the living. I have just 
witnessed his exit. It was a tragical scene of the deepest interest. During 
his confinement and trial, he exhibited those proud and elevated sensibilities 
which designate greatness and dignity of mind. Not a murmur or a sigh 
ever escaped him, and the civilities and attentions bestowed on him were 
politely acknowledged. . . . The fatal hour having arrived, a large detach- 
ment of troops was paraded, and an immense concourse of people assem- 
bled ; almost all our general and field officers, excepting his Excellency and 
his staff, were present on horseback ; melancholy and gloom pervaded all 
ranks, and the scene was affectingly awful." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

THUKSDAY, OCTOBEK 5. 

At Tappan : " We are now drawing an inactive campaign 
to a close ; the beginning of which appeared pregnant with 
events of a fa.vorable complexn. I hoped, but I hoped in 
vain, that a prospect was displaying, which wd. enable me 
to fix a period to my military pursuits, and restore me to 
domestic life. . . . We have been half of our time without 
provision, and are likely to continue so. We have no maga- 
zines, nor money to form them ; and in a little time we 
shall have no men, if we had money to pay them. We have 
lived upon expedients till we can live no longer. In a word, 
the history of the war is a history of false hopes and tempo- 
rary devices, instead of system and economy." — Washington 
to General John Cadwalader. 

FKIDAY, OCTOBEK 6. 

At Tappan : Orderly Book. — " The General will, beat at 7 
o'clock to morrow morning, the assemble at | past eight, 
and the march will commence at 9 precisely." 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7. 

At Paramus, New Jersey : " The main body of the army, 
the forage about Orange town and the lower Country being 

14 



194 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

exhausted, moved this morning, and is now arrived here. 
We have had a cold, wet and tedious march, on account of 
the feeble state of our Cattle, and have not a drop of rum 
to give the troops. My intention is to proceed with them 
to the country in the neighborhood of Passaic Falls." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8. 

At Preakness, New Jersey : " The French Fleet has been 
blocked up in the harbor of Newport almost ever since its 
arrival there, by a superior British squadron ; which superi- 
ority has been lately increased by the arrival of Admiral 
Rodney from the "West Indies with ten ships. Count de 
Guichen touched nowhere upon this coast, tho, by a variety 
of accounts, he was up as high as the latitude of 26, and 
by some higher." — Washington to General Gates. 

On arriving at Preakness the Commander-in-Chief re-established himself 
at his old head-quarters, the " Dey House," where he remained until No- 
vember 27. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13. 

At Preakness : " The want of provisions is a clog to our 
operations in every quarter. "We have several times, in the 
course of this campaign, been without either Bread or Meat 
and have never had more than four or five days beforehand. 
. . . The state of Virginia are desirous of an expedition to 
Detroit, and would make great exertions to carry it into 
execution. But while the enemy are so formidable to the 
southward, and are making such strides in that quarter, I 
fear it will require a greater force of men and supplies to 
check them than we, since the defeat near Camden, shall be 
able shortly to draw together." — Washington to Colonel Brod- 
head, Commanding at Fort Pitt, MS. Letter. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14. 

At Preakness : " I am now to request that you will pro- 
ceed to "West-Point, and take upon you the command of 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 195 

that post and its dependencies." — Washington to General 
Heath. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18. 

At Preakness : " I am religiously persuaded, that the 
duration of the war, and the greatest part of the misfortunes 
and perplexities we have hitherto experienced are chiefly to 
be attributed to the system of temporary enlistments. Had 
we in the commencement raised an army for the war, such 
as was within the reach of the abilities of these States to 
raise and maintain, we should not have suffered those mili- 
tary checks which have so frequently shaken our cause, nor 
should we have incurred such enormous expenditures as 
have destroyed our paper currency, and with it all public 
credit." — Washington's Circular Letter to the States, Octo- 
ber 18. ^ 

FEIDAY, OCTOBER 20. 

At Preakness : " The plan proposed for taking A[rnol]d 
the outlines of which are communicated in your letter wh'ch 
was this moment put into my hands without a date — has 
every mark of a good one — I therefore agree to the prom- 
ised rewards, and have such entire confidence in your man- 
agement of the business as to give it my fullest approbation ; 
and leave the whole to the guidance of your own judgment, 
with this expressed stipulation & pointed injunction, that he 
A[rnol]d is brought to me alive. 'No circumstances what- 
ever shall obtain my consent to his being put to death — the 
idea which would accompany such an event would be that 
ruffians had been hired to assassinate him, — my aim is to 
make a public example of him — and this should be strongly 
impressed upon those who are employed to bring him off." 
Washington to Major Henry Lee. 

Soon after arriving at head-quarters, at Tappan, the Commander-in-Chief 
sent for Major Henry Lee, and informed him that he was extremely desirous 
of securing the person of General Arnold, then in New York City, and that 



196 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

he relied upon him to furnish a trustworthy agent for the purpose. Major 
Lee, after considerable persuasion, induced John Champe, a sergeant-major 
in his legion, to undertake the service by making a pretended desertion to 
the enemy from the camp at Tappan. The desertion took place at night, 
and so well was it managed that Champe, although hotly pursued by a party 
of his fellow-dragoons, succeeded in getting into New York, and, after being 
examined by Sir Henry Clinton, was sent to Arnold, who made him sergeant- 
major in a legion he was raising for an expedition southward. Having 
settled upon a plan, Champe found means to inform Major Lee, who com- 
municated the details to Washington, and the letter above quoted, contain- 
ing his positive injunction that the traitor must be taken alive, was written 
for final instructions. The capture was arranged for the night of November 
5, but on that day, unfortunately, Arnold moved his quarters, and the legion 
to which Champe belonged was sent shortly afterwards to Virginia. He 
finally succeeded in escaping and joined " Lee's Legion ;" but Washington, 
knowing that he would immediately be hanged if caught by the enemy, 
discharged him from the service, after munificently rewarding him. Ser- 
geant Champe was born in Loudon County, Virginia, in 1752, and died in 
Kentucky about the year 1798. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBEK 22. 

At Preakness : " Congress having been pleased, by their 
resolution of the 5th instant, to authorize me to appoint an 
officer to the command of the Southern army, in the room 
of Major-General Gates, till an inquiry can be had into his 
conduct as therein directed, I have thought proper to choose 
you for this purpose. You will, therefore, proceed without 
delay to the Southern army, now in North Carolina, and 
take the command accordingly. ... I have put Major 
Lee's corps under marching orders, and, so soon as he is 
ready, shall detach him to join you." — Washington to Gen- 
eral Greene. 

General Gates, who had been appointed by Congress, on the 13th of June, 
to the command of the Southern army, independent of the Commander-in- 
Chief, was totally defeated by Lord Cornwallis at Camden, South Carolina, 
August 16, 1780. " This battle terminated the military career of General 
Gates, whose singular fortune it was to conduct the most prosperous and the 
most disastrous of the military enterprises of the war." He was removed 
from command and suspended from service until inquiry should be had as 
to his conduct. 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 197 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5. 

At Preakness : " Our affairs at the southward put on a 
more pleasing aspect since the defeat of Colonel Ferguson. 
Lord Cornwallis was retreating precipitately from Charlotte, 
and giving up a fine district of country, which he had in 
possession." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

The battle of King's Mountain, near the line between North and South 
Carolina, in which a body of British regulars and Tories, under Major 
Patrick Ferguson, was defeated and obliged to surrender, was fought October 
7. Major Ferguson and one hundred and fifty of his men were killed, and 
about the same number were wounded. The attacking party, composed of 
hardy mountaineers from Virginia and North Carolina, under Colonels 
Campbell, McDowell, Cleaveland, Shelby, and Sevier, having accomplished 
the object for which they assembled, returned to their homes. Their loss 
was twenty men, and a number wounded. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20. 

At Preakness: "A foreign loan is indispensably neces- 
sary to the continuance of the war. Congress will deceive 
themselves, if they imagine that the army, or a State that is 
the theatre of war, can rub through a second campaign as 
the last. It would be as unreasonable as to suppose, that, 
because a man had rolled a snow-ball till it had acquired 
the size of a horse, that he might do so till it was as large 
as a house. Matters may be pushed to a certain point, 
beyond which we cannot move them." — Washington to Gen- 
eral Sullivan. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23. 

At Preakness : Is visited by the Marquis de Chastellux, 
major-general in the French army. 

" " After riding two miles along the right flank of the army, and after pass- 
ing thick woods on the right, I found myself in a small plain, where I saw 
a handsome farm ; a small camp which seemed to cover it, a large tent ex- 
tended in the court, and several waggons round it, convinced me that this 
was his Excellency's quarter ; for it is thus Mr. Washington is called in the 
army, and throughout America. M. de la Fayette was in conversation with 
a tall man, five foot nine inches high (about five foot ten inches and a half 



198 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

English), of a noble and mild countenance. It was the General himself. I 
■was soon oflF horseback, and near him. The compliments were short; the 
sentiments with which I was animated, and the good wishes he testified for 
me were not equivocal. He conducted me to his house, where I found the 
company still at table, although the dinner had been long over. He pre- 
sented me to the Generals Knox, Waine, Howe, &c. and to h.\s, family, then 
composed of Colonels Hamilton and Tilgman, his Secretaries and his Aides 
de Camp, and of Major Gibbs, commander of his guards ; for in England 
and America, the Aides de Camp, Adjutants and other officers attached to 
the General, form what is called his family. A fresh dinner was prepared 
for me and mine ; and the present was prolonged to keep me company." — 
De Chastellux, Travels in Noi'th Am,ei-ica, i. 112. 

FKIDAY, NOVEMBER 24. 

At Preakness : Reviews the army at the different camps, 
accompanied by the Marquis de Chastellux. 

" At our return we found a good dinner ready, and about twenty guests, 
among whom were Generals Howe and Sinclair. . . . The conversation was 
calm and agreeable ; his Excellency was pleased to enter with me into the 
particulars of some of the principal operations of the war, but always with 
a modesty and conciseness, which proved that it was from pure complaisance 
he mentioned it. . . . The weather was so bad on the 25th, that it was im- 
possible for me to stir, even to wait on the generals, to whom M. de la Fay- 
ette was to conduct me. I easily consoled myself for this, finding it a great 
luxury to pass a whole day with General Washington, as if he were at his 
house in the country, and had nothing to do. The Generals Glover, Hunt- 
ingdon, and some others, dined with us, and the Colonels Stewart and But- 
ler, two officers distinguished in the army. The intelligence received this 
day occasioned the proposed attack on Staten Island to be laid aside. . . . 
It was determined therefore that the army should march the next day to 
winter quarters, and that I should continue my route to Philadelphia." — 
De Chastellux, i. 124. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26. 

At Preakness : Orderly Book. — " The army will march to- 
morrow morning. The Generale will beat at nine. The 
Assemblee at half past nine, and the march will commence 
precisely at ten." 

The Marquis de Chastellux left camp early in the morning of the 27th. 
It was this visit to Washington that brought out his admirable pen-portrait 
of the Commander-in-Chief, so frequently quoted : " It is not my intention 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 199 

to exaggerate, I wish only to express the impression General Washington 
has left on my mind ; the idea of a perfect whole, that cannot be the produce 
of enthusiasm, which rather would reject it, since the effect of proportion is 
to diminish the idea of greatness. |^rave without temerity, laborious with- 
out ambition, generous without jfrodigality, noble without pride, virtuous 
without severity ; he seems always to have confined himself within those 
limits, where the virtues, by cloathing themselves in more lively, but more 
changeable and doubtful colours, may be mistaken for faults. This is the 
seventh year that he has commanded the army, and that he has obeyed Con- 
gress ; more need not be said, especially in America, where they know how to 
appreciate all the m,erit contained in this simple factji Let it be repeated that /^ 
Conde was intrepid, Turenne prudent, Eugene adroit, Catinat disinterested. 
It is not thus that Washington will be characterized. It will be said of him. 
At the end of a long civil war, he hab nothing vtith which he 
cotTLD REPROACH HIMSELF. ... In Speaking of this perfect whole of which V 
General Washington furnishes the idea, I have not excluded exterior form. 
I^is stature is noble and lofty, he is well made, and exactly proportioned ; 
his physiognomy mild and agreeable, but such as to render it impossible to 
speak particularly of any of his features, so that in quitting him, you have 
only the recollection of a fine face.jj — Travels in North America, i. 137. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27. 

At Preakness : " You will march with the division under 
your command to the ground in the neighborhood of Morris- 
town, which Colonel Craig has pitched upon for the winter 
cantonment of the line, and on which he has been preparing 
huts." — Washington to General Wayne. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28. 

At Morristown, 'New Jersey : " I arrived at this place to- 
day, having yesterday broken up the camp near Passaic 
Falls, and detached the troops to their different places of 
cantonment. I shall repair to New Windsor, where I pur- 
pose to establish my winter-quarters, after having made 
some necessary regulations here and visited the hospitals." 
— Washington to the President of Congress. 

^'Nov. 1780. — To the Expenditures on a journey (after the Army left the 
Field for Winter Quarters) to Morristown — Fleming Town — Halkets Town 
[Hackettstown] — New Germ" Town — Sussex C House &c. to the Canton- 
ment at New Windsor — 476 Doll" & £102.1i."— Washington's Accounts. 



200 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6. 

At New Windsor, New York : "December 6th. — At even- 
ing Ms Excellency Gen. Washington, arrived at New Wind- 
sor, where he took winter-quarters." — Heath's Memoirs. 

Washington remained at New Windsor (except as stated) until June 25, 
1781, occupj'ing his old quarters, the "William Ellison House." This is 
the house referred to by Lossing (Field- Book, i. 681) as a "plain Dutch 
house, long since decayed and demolished. In that humble tenement Lady 
Washington entertained the most distinguished officers and their ladies, as 
well as the more obscure who sought her friendship." 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10. 

At New Windsor : " The army is cantoned in the follow- 
ing manner. The Pennsylvania line near Morristown ; the 
Jersey brigade at the entrance of the Clove, to cover the 
communication ; the New York brigade in the vicinity of 
Albany, furnishing the garrison of Fort Schuyler ; and the 
New England lines at West Point and its dependencies; 
the regiments much weakened by discharging the levies." 
— Washington to Baron Steuben. 

"December 10. — A little before noon. Gen. Washington visited West 
Point." — Heath's Memoirs. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11. 

At New Windsor : " The situation of the Army in respect 
to Cloathing is really distressing. By collecting all our 
remnants, and those of a thousand colors & kinds, we shall 
scarcely make them comfortable. Uniformity, one of the 
essentials of discipline, & every thing in the appearance of 
a Soldier, must be dispensed with ; — and what makes the 
matter more mortifying is, that we have, I am positively 
assured Ten thousand compleat suits ready in France & 
laying there because our public agents cannot agree whose 
business it is to ship them." — Washington to General Lincoln. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

At New Windsor : " It gives me much pleasure to hear, 
that my letters of introduction were serviceable to you. I 



1780] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 201 

am persuaded there is not wanting a disposition in Con- 
gress, or the individual States at the southward, to afford 
you every support, which the unhappy state of our finances 
will admit." — Washington to General Greene. 

^ " Public credit is so totally lost, that private people will not give their 
aid, though they see themselves involved in one common ruin. It is my 
opinion that General Washington's influence will do more than all the as- 
semblies upon the continent. I always thought him exceeding popular ; 
but in many places he is little less than adored, and universally admired. 
His influence in this country might possibly efl"ect something great. How- 
ever, I found myself exceedingly well received, but more from being the 
friend of the General, than from my own merit." — Greene to Hamilton, 
January 10, 1781. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBEE 19. 

At l!Tew Windsor : Entertains the Marquis de Chastellux, 
on his way to Stillwater and Saratoga. 

"WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20. 

At New Windsor : " Disappointed of the second division 
of French troops, but more especially in the expected naval 
superiority, which was the pivot upon which every thing 
turned, we have been compelled to spend an inactive cam- 
paign, after a flattering prospect at the opening of it, and 
vigorous struggles to make it a decisive one on our part." 
— Washington to Benjamin Franklin, at Paris. 

The second division of French troops destined for America, which had 
been blockaded in the harbor of Brest, never arrived, although provision 
had partly been made for quartering them at New London, Norwich, 
Lebanon, Windham, and other Connecticut towns. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23. 

At New Windsor : " You will take command of such of 
the detachments of water guards, now on the river, as you 
may think necessary, and with them attempt to surprise and 
bring off General Knyphausen from Morris's House on 
York Island, or Sir Henry Clinton from Kennedy's House 
in the city, if, from the tide, weather, and other circum- 



202 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1780 

stances, you shall judge the enterprise practicable." — Wash- 
ington to Colonel Humphreys. 

" On the 25th inst. Major Humphries, Aid-de-cainp to the Commander 
in Chief, went [from the post at Dobbs' Ferry] towards New York on an 
enterprize; he was attended by Capt. Welles, of the Connecticut line, 
Lieut. Hart, Ensign M'Calpin, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. M'Guyer, and twenty- 
four non-commissioned officers and privates, in one barge and two whale- 
boats. The wind was very fresh at north-west in the night, and the boats 
were forced past the city, and one of them almost down to Sandy-Hook — 
one of the boats put in at Staten Island : at length the three went round to 
Brunswick, from whence the Major and all the others, returned to the army 
on the 1st of January." — Heath's Memoirs. 

SATUKDAY, DECEMBER 30. 

At West Point; ^'•December 30th. — Gen. "Washington 
visited the Point, and, with a number of other officers, 
dined with our General." — Heath's Memoirs. 



I78I. 



WEDNESDAY, JANUAEY 3. 

At New Windsor : " To-day at noon I received yours of 
the 2d in the morning by Major Fishbourn, who has given 
me a full account of the unhappy and alarming defection of 
the Pennsylvania line." — Washington to General Wayne. 

On the 1st of January (about nine o'clock at night) a mutiny broke out 
among the Pennsylvania troops, in winter-quarters on Kimball Hill, near 
Morristown, New Jersey. About thirteen hundred men paraded under 
arms, refused obedience to their officers, killed Captain Billings, mortally 
wounded Captain Talbot, and committed various outrages. On the follow- 
ing day the mutineers marched in a body towards Princeton with six field- 
pieces, avowing their intention to proceed to Philadelphia, to demand from 
Congress a redress of their grievances. General Wayne overtook them on 
their march, and obtained a formal statement of their claims, which were : 
That many soldiers had been detained beyond the terra of their enlistment ; 
that the arrearages of pay and the depreciation had not been made up ; and 
that they were suifering every privation for want of money and clothes. The 
matter was referred to the President of the Council of Pennsylvania, Joseph 
Keed, who, in conjunction with a committee appointed by Congress, consist- 
ing of General Sullivan, Mr. Witherspoon, and Mr. Mathews, made a satis- 
factory agreement with the soldiers at Trenton, January 11. Two emissaries 
or spies sent among them with overtures from Sir Henry Clinton were given 
up, tried by a court-martial, and executed. The whole affair resulted in the 
disbanding of a large part of the Pennsylvania line for the winter, but it 
was recruited in the spring to its original complement. 

THUKSDAY, JANUAKY 11. 

At "West Point : A council of war held at General IIeath'8 
quarters, to consider what measures were necessary to be 
adopted with respect to the Pennsylvania line. 

" January 11th. — Accounts were received from the southward that the 
American army in that quarter were in a most miserable condition, on ac- 
count of cloathing and provisions and that their sufferings were greater than 
those experienced by the main army." — Heath's Memoirs. 

203 



204 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

MONDAY, JANUARY 15. 

At New Windsor: "I should have done myself the 
pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of the letter you did 
me the favor to write on the 26th of December, at the 
moment of its receipt, had not some aftairs of a very un- 
usual nature, which are too receilt and notorious to require 
explanation, engaged my whole attention. I pray you now 
to be persuaded, that a sense of the patriotic exertions of 
yourself and the ladies who have furnished so handsome 
and useful a gratuity for the army, at so critical and severe 
a season, will not easily be effaced, and that the value of 
the donation will be greatly enhanced by a consideration of 
the hands by which it was made and presented." — Washing- 
ton to Mrs. Sarah Bache. 

Mrs. Sarah Bache, daughter of Dr. Franklin, took a prominent part in 
carrying out the plans of an association of the ladies of Philadelphia, formed 
for the purpose of collecting contributions in aid of the soldiers. The 
"handsome and useful gratuity for the army" was a contribution of two 
thousand and five shirts, a practical application of funds and labor highly 
creditable to its members. The association was formed in the summer of 
1780, and on July 4, Mrs. Joseph Reed, then at the head of it, but who died 
on the 18th of September following, wrote to Washington that " 200,580 
dollars, and £625. 6. 8d. making the whole in paper money 300,634 dollars," 
had been collected, and requesting directions how best to dispose of it. Of 
this sum, the Marquis de Lafayette contributed one hundred guineas in 
specie in the name of his wife, and the Countess de Luzerne six thousand 
dollars in paper. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 22. 

At "West Point : " January 22d. — His Excellency Gen. 
Washington, the Marquis de la Fayette, and a number of 
French gentlemen, visited the Point." — Heath's Memoirs. 

Count Dumas, aide to General Rochambeau, one of the " French gentle- 
men" referred to by General Heath, has left us in his Memoirs an account 
of the return of the party to New Windsor: "After having visited the 
forts and reviewed the garrison, as the day was declining, and we were going 
to mount our horses, the General perceived that M. de la Fayette, in conse- 
quence of his old wound [received at the battle of Brandy wine], was very 
much fatigued. ' It will be better,' .said he, ' to return by water ; the tide 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 205 

will assist us in ascending against the stream.' A boat was soon manned 
with good rowers, and we embarked. The cold became excessive ; we had 
to make our way between the large flakes of ice which the river brought 
down. A heavy snow and the obscurity of the night soon rendered the 
danger more imminent and the management of the boat, which filled with 
water, became increasingly difficult. We coasted the rocks which lined the 
right bank of the Hudson, between West Point and New Windsor, at the 
foot of which it was impossible to land. General Washington, perceiving 
that the master of the boat was very much alarmed, took the helm, saying " 
' Courage, my friends ; I am going to conduct you, since it is my duty to 
hold the helm.' After having with much difficulty made our way against 
the stream and the ice, we landed, and had to walk a league before we 
reached the head- quarters." 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30. 

At New Windsor : Orderly Book. — " The General returns 
his thanks to Major-Gen'l Howe for the judicious measures 
he pursued, and to the officers and men under his command, 
for the good conduct and alacrity with which they executed 
his orders, for suppressing the late mutiny in a part of the 
New Jersey line." 

On the evening of January 20 the New Jersey troops stationed at Pomp- 
ton, New Jersey, revolted, their demands being similar to those of the 
Pennsylvania line. By order of the Commander-in-Chief, a detachment 
consisting of five hundred rank and file, properly officered, from the Mas- 
sachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire lines, under the command of 
Major-General Robert Howe, marched on the 23d, and reached Pompton 
Qn the 27th. His instructions were to grant no terms while the revolted 
troops were with arms, and, if successful in compelling a surrender, to 
instantly execute a few of the most active leaders. The mutineers were 
disarmed, three of the ringleaders shot, and order restored. Washington 
himself went to Ringwood, ten miles north of Pompton, on the 26th, and 
remained until the 28th, when he returned to head-quarters. 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4. 

At New "Windsor : " The measure adopted by Congress 
of appointing Ministers of War, Finance, and for Foreign 
Affairs, I think a very wise one. To give efficacy to it, 
proper characters will, no doubt, be chosen to conduct the 
business of these departments. ... I am pleased to hear 
that Maryland has acceded to the confederation, and that 



206 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

Virginia has relinquished her claim to the Land West of 
the Ohio." — Washington to General Sullivan. 

Maryland had steadily refused to ratify the " Articles of Confederation," 
adopted by Congress, November 15, 1777, until the conflicting claims of the 
Union and of the separate States to the crown- lands should be adjusted. 
This point was finally settled by the cession of the claiming States to the 
United States of all the unsettled and unappropriated lands for the benefit 
of the whole Union. The objection of Maryland having been removed by 
the settlement of this question, her delegates signed the " Articles of Con- 
federation" on the first day of March, 1781. By this act of Maryland, all 
the other States having previously ratified the Articles, they became the 
organic law of the Union, and on the 2d of March Congress assembled 
under the new powers. A few weeks prior to this date Congress had intro- 
duced a much-needed reform into the administration, by abolishing the sev- 
eral committees and boards of its members, on whom all the great executive 
duties had heretofore devolved. On January 10 an office for the Depart- 
men of Foreign Affairs was established, and on February 7 it was resolved : 
" That there be a superintendent of finance, a secretary of war, and a sec- 
retary of marine." On February 20, Robert Morris was elected Superin- 
tendent of Finance ; on the 27th, Major-General Alexander McDougall, 
Secretary of Marine ; and on August 10, Eobert R. Livingston, Secretary 
for Foreign Affairs. The election for Secretary of War did not take place 
until October 30, when Major-General Benjamin Lincoln was elected. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17. 

At N^ew Windsor : " General Morgan's signal victory 
over Colonel Tarleton and the flower of the British army 
[battle of Cowpens, South Carolina, 17th January] reflects 
the highest honor upon our arms, and I hope will at least 
be attended with this advantage, that it will check the 
oflfensive operations of the enemy, until General Greene 
shall have collected a much more respectable force than he 
had under his command by the last accounts from him." — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20. 

At New Windsor : " I have ordered a detachment to be 
made at this post, to rendezvous at Peekskill on the 19th 
instant, which, together with another to be formed at Mor- 
ristown from the Jersey troops, will amount to about twelve 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 207 

hundred rank and file. The destination of this detachment 
is to act against the corps of the enemy now in Virginia, in 
conjunction with the militia, and some ships from the fleet 
of the Chevalier Destouches, which he informs me sailed 
the 9th instant from Newport. You will take the command 
of this detachment, which you will in the first instance 
march by battalions towards Pompton, there to rendezvous 
and afterwards to proceed with all possible despatch to the 
Head of Elk. . . . "When the object of the detachment is 
fulfilled (or unfortunately disappointed), you will return to 
this post with it by the same route, if circumstances admit, 
and with as much expedition as possible." — Washington to 
the Marquis de Lafayette. 

The object of this expedition was the capture of Arnold, who, having 
been made a brigadier-general in the British service, was then in Virginia, 
with a body of troops, engaged in predatory excursions, inflicting much 
injury by burning and pillage. The force from the French fleet at New- 
port, which was expected to support Lafayette, consisted of a ship of the 
line and two frigates under the command of M. de Tilly, who entered Chesa- 
peake Bay, but did not remain for fear of being blockaded. He therefore 
put to sea, and arrived at Newport a few days after the detachment had 
started. 

SATUKDAY, FEBRUAKY 24. 

At New Windsor : " The flattering distinction paid to the 
anniversary of my birth-day is an honor for which I dare 
not attempt to express my gratitude. I confide in your 
excellency's sensibility to interpret my feelings for this, and 
for the obliging manner in which you are pleased to an- 
nounce it." — Washington to Count de Bochambeau. 

^^Newport, February 12, 1781. — Yesterday [Sunday] was the anniversary 
of your Excellency's birth day. "We have put off celebrating that holiday 
till to-day, by reason of the Lord's day and we will celebrate it with the 
sole regret that your Excellency be not a Witness of the effusion and glad- 
ness of our hearts." — Rochambeau io Washington. 

The celebration is said to have consisted of a parade of the French troops, 
the firing of a salute, and, in honor of the occasion, a suspension of further 
labors for the day. This is, probably, the earliest public recognition of 



208 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

Washington's birthday. It was held, as will be noted, according to the 
Old Style of computing the length of the year. 

THUKSDAY, MAKCH 1. 

At New Windsor : " I have just received letters from the 
Count de Rochambeau and the Chevalier Destouches, in- 
forming me of their intention to operate in the Chesapeake 
Bay with their whole fleet, and a detachment of eleven hun- 
dred French troops, grenadiers and chasseurs included. 
The Chevalier expects to sail the 5th of this month, so that 
you will arrive at the Head of Elk, before he appears in the 
Bay. ... I shall set out in the morning for Rhode Island, 
where I hope to arrive before the fleet sails, to level all 
difficulties and be in the way to improve circumstances." — 
Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

" On the morning of the 2d of March, Gen. Washington set out from 
New- Windsor, for Ehode-Island." — Heath's Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, MAECH 4. 

At Hartford, Connecticut: "March fourth — D.[ies] 
Dom.[inicus]. General "Washington came with his aids 

Col. , Col. Tilgham [Tilghman]. The Genl left an 

order for a General Court Martial for the trial of Alexander 
McDowell for desertion — set out for Newport — M. Gen. 
Howe with him. Col. Trumbull accompanied them to 
Lebanon." — Diary of Jonathan Trumbull. 

MONDAY, MAKCH 5. 

At Lebanon, Connecticut: Reviews the Legion of the 
Duke de Lauzun, in quarters at Lebanon. 

TUESDAY, MAKCH 6. 

At Newport, Rhode Island : "March 6th. — This day Gen- 
eral Washington, who was exlj^ected, arrived about two 
o'clock. He first went [from the ferry at Jamestown, by 
the admiral's barge] to the Due de Bourgogne [the flag- 
ship], where all the generals were. He then landed; all 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 209 

the troops were under arms ; I was presented to him. His 
face is handsome, noble and mild. He is tall (at least, five 
feet, eight inches). In the evening I was at supper with 
him. I mark, as a fortunate day, that in which I have been 
able to behold a man so truly great." — Diary of Claude 
Blanchard, Commissary of the French army, p. 93. 

" Washington landed at Barney's Ferry — the corner of the Long Wharf 
and Washington Street. The French troops formed a close line, three deep 
on either side, from the ferry house up the Long Wharf and Washington 
Square to Clarke Street, where it turned at a right angle and continued to 
Kochambeau's head-quarters. The following night the town was illumi- 
nated. At that time the inhabitants were poverty stricken, and compara- 
tively few were able to take part in the joyful ceremony ; but that all should 
share in the honors paid so distinguished a visitor, the Town Council 
ordered that candles should be purchased, and given to all who were too 
much distressed, through continued losses, to purchase for themselves ; so 
that every house should show a light. The procession was led oflf by thirty 
boys, bearing candles fixed on staffs, followed by Gen. Washington, Count 
Kochambeau and the other officers, their aids and the procession of citizens. 
The night was clear, and there was not a breath to fan the torches. The 
brilliant procession marched through the principal streets, and then returned 
to the head-quarters. On reaching the door, Washington waited on the 
step until all the officers and their friends had entered the house ; then, 
turning to the boys who had acted as torch-bearers he thanked them for 
their attention. This was glory enough for the young patriots." — Newport 
Illustrated, p. 36. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7. 

At Newport: Attends a ball given by the Count de 
Rochambeau, at Mrs. Cowley's Assembly Eoom, and opens 
it by request, his partner being Miss Margaret Champlin, 
afterwards Mrs. Dr. Benjamin Mason. 

" The dance selected by his partner was ' A Successful Campaign,' then in 
high favor ; and the French officers took the instruments from the musicians, 
and played while he danced the first figure with one of the most beautiful 
and fascinating of Newport's many belles." — Newport Illustrated, p. 44. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 8. 

At IS'ewport : Receives and answers an address from the 
inhabitants of N"ewport. Committee : Christopher Ellery, 

15 



210 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

"William Channing, William Taggart, and Solomon South- 
wick. 

" I found myself on duty all of last week. , . . add to this the arrival of 
the celebrated Washington the Atlas of your country. Our army received 
him with the marks of distinction due to his rank and to his personal quali- 
ties ; we had not eyes enough to see him with. Man is born with a ten- 
dency to pride and the further he progresses in his career in an elevated rank 
the more his self love nourishes this vice in him but so far from this Wash- 
ington although born with every superior quality adds to them an imposing 
modesty which will always cause him to be admired by those who have the 
good fortune to see him ; as for esteem he has already drawn to himself that 
of all Europe even in the heart of his enemies and ours ' tandem oculi 
nostri, videuntur honorem et virtutem.' " — Chevalier de Silly to Solomon 
Browne, 15th March, 1781. 

SUNDAY, MAKCH 11. 

At Newport : " I informed you on the 8tli in the evening, 
that the French fleet had put to sea. By advices from New 
London, the British did the same yesterday morning with 
their whole force. They gave out publicly, that they were 
bound for the Chesapeake." — Washington to the Marquis de 
Lafayette. 

Washington remained at Newport until the 13th, and was the recipient 
of many attentions of a private character from the prominent inhabitants 
of the town. During his stay he was the guest of Count de Kochambeau, 
who occupied the house of William Vernon, in New Lane, No 302 (north- 
east corner of Mary and Clarke Streets), as his head-quarters. 

TUESDAY, MAKCH 13. 

Leaves Newport : Passes through Bristol, Rhode Island, 
and arrives at Providence in the evening. 

^'^ March 13, 1781.— General Washington passed through Bristol on his 
way to Providence. When the news of his approach was received, a com- 
pany of inhabitants, mounted upon horseback, went down to the ferry to 
meet him, and to escort him to the village. Accompanied by his aids, he 
passed directly through the town, riding the entire length of Hope Street. 
As he passed State Street, a salute was fired in front of the Court House, 
which then stood in the middle of the street. When he passed Bradford 
Street, the inhabitants, clad in their best apparel, stood upon either side of 
the street, being divided according to their sexes, and as he passed, showed 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 211 

their respect for him by strewing his path with flowers, evergreens, etc., 
accompanied with the highest marks of civility. "When Washington reached 
the Bridge he turned to the inhabitants, and addressed them in brief but 
eloquent manner, returning the kindness and civility which had been shown 
him."— Mwwro's History of Bristol, p. 242. „^ 

WEDNESDAY, MAKCH 14. 

At Providence, Rhode Island : Receives and answers an 
address from the inhabitants of the town, and in the even- 
ing attends a military ball. 

Count Dumas relates in his Memoirs the following interesting story of 
Washington's reception at Providence: "After having conferred with 
Count Rochambeau, as he [Washington] was leaving us to return to his 
head-quarters near West Point, I received the welcome order to accompany 
him as far as Providence. We arrived there at night [March 13] ; the 
whole of the population had assembled from the suburbs, we were surrounded 
by a crowd of children carrying torches, reiterating the acclamations of the 
citizens ; all were eager to approach the person of him whom they called 
their father,* and pressed so closely around us that they hindered us from pro- 
ceeding. General Washington was much affected, stopped a few moments, 
and pressing my hand, said, * We may be beaten by the English ; it is the 
chance of war; but behold an army which they can never conquer.' " 

Both Irving and Bancroft refer to this incident as having occurred on 
the return of Washington to head-quarters after his first interview with 
Rochambeau, at Hartford, September 21, 1780, six months earlier in time. 
The text of Dumas in its connection is confusing, but it should be noted 
that his Memoirs were written late in life, when the memory of dates and 
places goes easily astray. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 15. 

Leaves Providence : Early in the morning of the 15th 
General Washington and his suite continued their journey, 



* The earliest application of the epithet " Father of his Country" to 
Washington, which has come to our knowledge, occurs in a German almanac, 
the " Nord Americanische Kalender," for the year 1779, printed at Lan- 
caster, Pennsylvania. The frontispiece — of the full size of the page, small 
quarto, an emblematic design — presents in the upper portion of it a figure 
of Fame, with a trumpet in her right hand, and in her left a medallion por- 
trait, laureated, inscribed, " Waschington." From the trumpet proceed the 
words, " Des Landes Vater," — the Father of the Country. 



212 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

being escorted a few miles from the town by a civil and 
military cavalcade. While in Providence he was entertained 
at the house of the Hon. Jabez Bowen. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 16. 

At Hartford, Connecticut: General Washington arrived 
at Hartford on the evening of Friday, March 16. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 17. 

At Hartford : " It would have afforded me the greatest 
pleasure, had I been able to extend my late visit to Newport, 
as far as Boston ; but the important operations, which may 
be expected at the southward, made it necessary for me to 
return as soon as possible to the North River." — Washington 
to Governor Hancock. 

" March seventeenth. Saturday — Dined at Mr. Piatt's with Gen. "Wash- 
ington, and spent the afternoon — he came to my lodgings — communicated 
Mr. Southwick and Com. General's letters — conversed on various subjects." 
— Diary of Jonathan Trumbull. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 18. 

Leaves Hartford : " Lord's Day — March eighteenth. Gen- 
eral Washington came on Friday night — went out this 
morning." — Diary of Jonathan Trumbull. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 20. 

At New Windsor : " March 20th. — Li the afternoon, Gen. 
Washington arrived at head-quarters, at New- Windsor, from 
the eastward." — Heath's Memoirs. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21. 

At New Windsor : " I returned to this place yesterday at 
noon. I did not prosecute my intention of visiting Spring- 
field, as I wished not to be out of the line of communication 
from the southward, on account of the important intelligence 
which may be hourly expected from that quarter." — Wash- 
ington to the President of Congress. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 213 

" To the Expenditures on a journey to Khode Island, on a visit to the French 
army. . . 19,848^ Doll" = To Specie Expenditures on this journey — p'' My 
Mem°'B* — where Paper w^ not pass. . . £68.12.0." — Washington's Accounts. 

THUKSDAY, MARCH 22. 

At New "Windsor: "I am mucli indebted to you for 
announcing my election as a member of tbe American 
Academy of Arts and Sciences. I feel myself particularly 
honored by this relation to a society, whose efforts to pro- 
mote useful knowledge will, I am persuaded, acquire them 
a high reputation in the literary world." — Washington to 
Joseph Willard. 

MONDAY, MARCH 26. 

At New Windsor : " The many remarkable interpositions 
of the divine government, in the hours of our deepest dis- 
tress and darkness, have been too luminous to suffer me to 
doubt the happy issue of the present contest ; but the period 
for its accomplishment may be too far distant for a person 
of my years, whose morning and evening hours, and every 
moment (unoccupied by business), pants for retirement, and 
for those domestic and rural enjoyments, which in my esti- 
mation far surpass the highest pageantry of this world." — 
Washington to General Armstrong. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 31. 

At New Windsor: "I was last evening honored with 
your favor of the 19th instant by the Hermione, by way of 
Philadelphia, and with a duplicate from Newport. I am 
obliged by the minute detail you were pleased to give me 
of the action on the 16th instant, between the squadron of 
his Most Christian Majesty under your command, and that 
of the British under Admiral Arbuthnot." — Washington to 
the Chevalier Destouches. 

The French squadron under the Chevalier Destouches, with a detachment 
of troops, sailed from Newport for the Chesapeake on the 8th of March, to 
co-operate in the movement of Lafayette against Arnold. They were pur- 
sued by Admiral Arbuthnot and forced to an engagement, in which, 



214 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

though the honors of war were with the French, some of their vessels suf- 
fered so severely that they were obliged to return to Newport to repair 
damages. Arbuthnot made all speed to the Chesapeake, which he effect- 
ually blockaded. Washington wrote to Colonel John Laurens, at Paris, 
under date of April 9: "The failure of this expedition, which was most 
flattering in the commencement, is much to be regretted ; because a success- 
ful blow in that quarter would, in all probability, have given a decisive 
turn to our affairs in all the Southern States ; because it has been attended 
with considerable expense on our part, and much inconvenience to the State 
of Virginia, by the assembling of its militia ; because the world is disap- 
pointed at not seeing Arnold in Gibbets." 

WEDNESDAY, APKIL 4.* 

At New Windsor : " General Greene has had a general 
engagement with Lord Cornwallis [battle of Guilford Court- 
House, 15th March], from which, though he suffered a 
defeat, he might ultimately derive advantages, had his Lord- 
ship no prospect of fresh succours." — Washington to General 
Lincoln. 

The battle of Guilford Court-House, North Carolina, was one of the 
most sanguinarj' battles of the war ; and, although the enemy remained 
masters of the field, their army was too much shattered to resume offensive 
operations. After issuing a proclamation boasting of his victory, Cornwallis 
retired to Wilmington, from whence, on the 25th of April, he set out on 

his fatal march into Virginia. 

'\ 

THURSDAY, APRIL 5. 

At New Windsor : " While we lament the miscarriao^e 
of an enterprise, which bid so fair for success, we must con- 
sole ourselves in the thought of having done everj-thing 
practicable to accomplish it. I am certain that the Cheva- 
lier Destouches exerted himself to the utmost to gain the 
Chesapeake. The point upon which the whole turned, the 
action with Admiral Arbuthnot, reflects honor upon the 
Chevalier and upon the marine of France. As matters 
have turned out, it is to be wished that you had not gone 
out of the Elk. But I never judge of the propriety of 

* '■^April 4th. — Gen. Washington visited West-Point." — Heath's Me- 
moirs. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 215 

measures by after events. Your move to Annapolis, at the 
time you made it, was certainly judicious. ... I imagine 
the detachment will be upon its march this way before this 
reaches you." — WashingtoR to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

FEIDAY, APRIL 6. 

At New Windsor : " I have communicated to the general 
officers, at present with the army, my sentiments on the 
subject; and they are unanimously of opinion, that the de- 
tachment under your command should proceed and join the 
southern army. . . . You will therefore immediately on 
receipt of this, turn the detachment to the southward." — 
Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

At the time of receiving this order Lafayette was at the Head of Elk, 
preparing to march back with his troops to the banks of the Hudson, in 
pursuance of his original instructions. He immediately turned southward, 
and when the detachment reached Baltimore, finding that the men were 
suffering for the want of suitable clothing, borrowed money on his own 
credit to supply the material. After being joined by General Wayne 
(June 10), with about one thousand of the Pennsylvania line, the move- 
ments of Lafayette were so prudent and skilful that they contributed in no 
slight degree to the success of the campaign. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 8. 

At New Windsor : " Intelligence has been sent to me, by 
a gentleman living near the enemy's lines, who has an 
opportunity of knowing what passes among them, that four 
parties have been sent out with orders to take or assassinate 
your Excellency, Governor Clinton, myself and a fourth 
person, whose name is not known." — Washington to Governor 
Livingston. 

" This kind of intoliigence was not uncommon. It was probably some- 
times sent out through secret channels by the enemy, with the view of 
exciting alarm and vigilance at certain points, when they wished to draw 
attention away from others. It is certain, also, that plans were concerted 
for seizing the principal persons among the Americans. On one or two 
occasions Governor Livingston narrowly escaped. One of the spies, who 
came out with Sir Henry Clinton's proposition to the Pennsylvania mu- 
tineers, declared after he was taken, and repeated it at the time of his exe- 



216 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

cution, that he knew a party who had formed a scheme to seize General 
Washington, and he pretended to reveal the manner in which they pro- 
posed to carry it into effect." — Sparks, vii. 472. 

THUKSDAY, APRIL 26. 

At West Point : '•^ April 26th. — Gen. Washington visited 
"West Point and Monsieur Seville, Quarter-Master of the 
French army at N'ewport." — Heath's Memoirs. 

MONDAY, APRIL 30. 

At ]^ew Windsor : " I am very sorry to hear of your loss. 
I am a little sorry to hear of my own ; hut that which gives 
me most concern is, that you should go on board the 
enemy's vessels, and furnish them with refreshments. It 
would have been a less painful circumstance to me to have 
heard, that in consequence of your non-compliance with 
their request, they had burnt my house and laid the planta- 
tion in ruins. You ought to have considered yourself as 
my representative, and should have reflected on the bad 
example of communicating with the enemy, and making 
a voluntary offer of refreshments to them with a view to 
prevent a conflagration." — Washington to Lund Washington. 

During an expedition by General Phillips, up the Chesapeake Bay and 
its principal rivers, in the early part of April, one of his smaller vessels 
ascended the Potomac and menaced Mount Vernon. Lund Washington, 
who had charge of the estate, met the flag which the enemy sent on shore, 
and saved the property from ravage by furnishing the vessel with provisions. 
Washington's decided disapproval of this action is pretty conclusively con- 
veyed in the letter from which the above extract is made. Lund Wash- 
ington, manager of the Mount Vernon estate from 1760 to 1785, was a 
great-grandson of Lawrence Washington, brother of John Washington, the 
great-grandfather of General Washington ; this made them cousins in the 
third remove. He was born October 21, 1737, and died in July, 1796. His 
own plantation, " Hayfield," was about four miles from Mount Vernon. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9. 

At West Point : ''3Iay 9th.— Went to the Posts at West 
Point, and found by enquiry of General Heath that all the 
meal [meat ?] deposited in the advanced redoubts for con- 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 217 

tingent purposes would not, if served out, serve the army- 
two days." — Washington's Journal. 

On May 1, 1781, Washington began "A Concise Journal of Military 
Transactions," the original manuscript of which is preserved in the library 
of the Department of State, at Washington, D.C. The journal ending 
November 5 was printed in the Magazine of American History for 1881, 
and from this our extracts are made. The following, from the prefatory 
note, exhibits in a striking manner the condition of the army at the time, 
and the prospects of the campaign : " Instead of having magazines filled 
with provisions, we have a scanty pittance scattered here and there in the 
different States — Instead of having our arsenals well supplied with military 
stores, they are poorly provided, and the workmen all leaving them — In- 
stead of having the various articles of Field equipage in readiness to deliver, 
the Quartermaster-General (as the denier resort, according to his acct.) is 
but now applying to the several States to provide these things for their 
troops respectively. Instead of having a regular system of transportation 
upon credit — or funds in the Quartermaster's hands to defray the contingent 
Expences of it, we have neither the one nor the other ; and all that business, 
or a great part of it being done by military Impress, we are daily and 
hourly oppressing the people, — souring their tempers, and alienating their 
affection — Instead of having the Kegiments compleated to the new estab- 
lishment (and which ought to have been so by the — of agreeable to the 

requisitions of Congress), scarce any state in the Union has, at this hour, an 
eighth part of its quota in the field — and little prospect, that I can see, of 
ever getting more than half. — In a word — instead of having everything in 
readiness to take the Field, we have nothing — and instead of having the 
prospect of a glorious offensive campaign before us, we have a bewildered 
and gloomy defensive one — unless we should receive a powerful aid of ships 
— Land Troops — and money from our generous allies — & these, at present, 
are too contingent to build upon." 

FRIDAY, MAY 11. 

At N'ew Windsor : " My public letters to Congress will 
have informed you of the situation of this army, and I have 
no scruple in giving it as my decided opn., that, unless a 
capital change takes place soon, it will be impossible for me 
to maintain our Posts, and keep the army from dispersing." 
— Washington to General Sullivan. 

MONDAY, MAY 14. 

At New "Windsor : " I have had the honor of receiving 
your Excellency's letter of the 11th instant. Give me leave 



218 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

to congratulate you on your safe arrival, and your appoint- 
ment to the command of his Most Christian Majesty's fleet 
and sea forces upon these coasts. ... I have appointed 
Monday, the 21st of this month, for the time of our inter- 
view at Weathersfield." — Washington to Count de Barras. 

"Newport, May 11th. — I have the honor to announce to your Excellency 
my arrival at Boston, on the 6th of this month, in the frigate Concord ; the 
King having appointed me to the command of his squadron in these seas. 
I arrived here yesterday. The Count de Kochambeau has communicated to 
me the letter, which he had the honor to write to your Excellency, request- 
ing an interview. When he shall receive your answer, we will conform to 
your decision. I am very impatient to have the honor of making an ac- 
quaintance with you, and to assure you that I have nothing so much at heart 
as to render myself serviceable to the King and to the United States." — 
Cov/nt de Barras to Washington. 

Count de Barras was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death 
of Admiral de Ternay, which occurred at Newport, December 15, 1780. 
During the interval the command of the squadron had devolved on the 
Chevalier Destouches. 

TUESDAY, MAY 15. 

At New "Windsor : " For the honor conferred on me by 
the President and Fellows of the University of Yale Col- 
lege, by the degree of Doctor of Laws, my warmest thanks 
are offered; and the polite manner, in which you are 
pleased to request my acceptance of this distinguished mark 
of their favor, demands my grateful acknowledgments." — 
Washington to Ezra Styles, President of Yale College. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16. 

At West Point : ''3fag 16th.— Went to the Posts at West 
Point — received a particular acct. of the surprize of Colo 
Greene & the loss we sustained." — Washington's Journal. 

Colonel Christopher Greene, of Khode Island, in command of an outpost 
on the Croton River, not far from Pine's Bridge, was surprised early in the 
morning of the 13th by a band of Tories under Colonel Delancey. " They 
first attacked Col. Greene's and Major Flagg's quarters, and killed the Major 
when in bed. The Colonel being badly wounded in the house, was carried 
into the woods and barbarously murdered \_Thacher'\." Greene, in the 
words of Irving, was " a true soldier of the Revolution ; he had served at 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 219 

Lexington and Bunker's Hill ; followed Arnold through the Kennebec 
"wilderness to Quebec fought under the walls of that city ; distinguished 
himself by his defence of Fort Mercer on the Delaware, and by his kind 
treatment of his vanquished and wounded antagonist, Colonel Donop. How 
different the treatment experienced by him at the hands of his tory country- 
men !" 

THURSDAY, MAY 17. 

At ifew "Windsor : " The Count de Rochambeau having 
received despatches from the court of France by his son, 
the Viscount de Hochambeau, on the 6th instant, has re- 
quested an interview with me. I have appointed the place 
of meeting at Weathersiield, on Monday next, for which 
purpose I shall set out hence to-morrow. I am in hopes, 
that we shall be able, from the intelligence received, to 
settle a definitive plan of the campaign." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

At the Hartford conference (September 21, 1780) it had been decided to 
send a trusty messenger to the French court to hasten the despatch of re- 
inforcements, and the Viscount de Rochambeau, who was serving on the staff 
of his father, was selected for the mission. The viscount reached Boston 
on his return, May 6, bringing news of the sailing from Brest, on March 22, 
of the Count de Grasse with a strong squadron escorting a convoy of trans- 
ports, laden with supplies. All the restrictions imposed upon the Count de 
Rochambeau by De Sartine, the former Minister of Marine, had also been 
removed, the new ministry giving him full power to act as he thought best. 

FRIDAY, MAY 18. 

Leaves New Windsor : " May 18th. — Set out this day for 
the Interview at Weathersfield with the Count de Rocham- 
beau & Admiral Barras. — reached Morgans Tavern 43 miles 
from Fishkill Landing after dining at Colo. Vandebergs." 
— Washington's Journal. 

SATURDAY, MAY 19. 

At Wethersfield, Connecticut : " May 19th. — Breakfasted 
at Litchfield — dined at Farmington — & lodged at Wethers- 
field at the House of Joseph Webb Esqr. (the Quarters wch 
were taken for me and my suit)." — Washington's Journal. 



220 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

^^ Hartford, May 29, 1781. — On Saturday the 19tli inst. his excellency 
General Washington, accompanied by Gen. Knox, Gen, Du Portail, and 
their respective suites, arrived at Wethersfield ; being escorted into town by 
a number of gentlemen from Hartford and Wethersfield. As he dismounted 
at his quarters he was saluted by the discharge of thirteen cannon, by the 
corps of artillery, under the command of Cap. Frederick Bull. On Mon- 
day the 21st inst. his excellency the Count de Eochambeau, commanding 
the army of his most Christian Majesty at Newport, Gen. Chatteleu, and 
their suites, arived at Wethersfield. They were met at Hartford, by his 
excellency General Washington, the officers of the army, and a number of 
gentlemen, who accompanied them to Wethersfield, where they were saluted 
with the discharge of cannon. Every mark of attention and politeness were 
shewn their excellencies, and the other gentlemen of the allied armies while 
attending the convention." — Connecticut Historical Collections, p. 55. 

SUNDAY, MAT 20. 

At Wethersfield : " May 20th. — Had a good deal of private 
conversation with Gov' Trumbull who gave it to me as his 
opinion that if any important offensive operation should be 
undertaken he had little doubt of our obtaining Men & 
Provision adequate to our wants." — WasJmigton's Journal. 

" Lord's Day, May twentieth. — Went with Capt. Fred. Bull in a carriage 
to Wethersfeld — attended divine service with General Washington per tot 
diem. Mr. Marsh preached. Mat. 7 : 8 — blessed are the poor of spirit, for 
theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." — Diary of Jonathan Trutnbull. 

MONDAY, MAY 21. 

At Wethersfield: ''May 21st.— The Count de Rocham- 
beau Avith the Chevr de Chastellux arrived about noon — the 
appearance of the British fleet (under Adml Arbuthnot) 
off Block Island prevented the attendance of the Count de 
Barras." — Washington's Journal. 

TUESDAY, MAY 22. 

At Wethersfield : " May 22d.— Fixed with Count de Eo- 
chambeau upon a plan of Campaign — in substance as fol- 
lows — That the French Land force (except 200 men) should 
march so soon as the Squadron could sail for Boston — to 
the North River — & there, in conjunction with the Ameri- 
can, to commence an operation against New York. ... or 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 221 

to extend our views to the Southward as circumstances and 
a naval superiority might render more necessary and eli- 
gable." — Washington's Journal. 

" Tuesday, twenty-second. Fair — dined with General "Washington, Ko- 
chambeau &c. at Stillman's." — Diary of Jonathan Trumbull. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23. 

At Wethersfield : " May 23d. — Count de Rochambeau set 
out on his return to Newport, while I prepared and for- 
warded dispatches to the Governors of the four New England 
states calling upon them in earnest & pointed terras, to com- 
pleat their Continental Battalions for the Campaign." — 
Washington's Journal. 

" Wednesday, twenty-third. Fair — dined at Colyer's with the Generals 
—supra public expense. Guards — Artillery." — Diary of Jonathan Trum- 
bull. 

THUESDAY, MAY 24. 

Leaves Wethersfield : " May 24th. — Set out on my return 
to New Windsor — dined at Farmington and lodged at 
Litchfield." — Washington's Journal. 

FRIDAY, MAY 25. 

At New Windsor : " May 25th. — Breakfasted at Squire 
Cogswells — dined at Colo. Yandeburgs & reached head 
Quarters about sunset. " — Washington's Journal. 

" To the Expence of a Journey to Weathersfield for the purpose of an 
Interview with the French Gen>. & Adm. . . 8376^ Doll". . . To Specie 
expended in this Trip. . . £35.18.0." — Washington' s Accounts. 

SATURDAY, MAY 26. 

At New Windsor : " May 26th. — Received a Letter from 
the Honble Jno. Laurens minister from the United States 
of America at the Court of Versailles — informing me that 
the sum of 6,000,000 of Livres was granted as a donation 
to this country — to be applied in part to the purchase of 



222 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

arms — cloaths — &c. for the American Troops and the bal- 
lance to my orders." — Washington's Journal. 

The provision of this donation, that the balance, after paying for the 
military articles purchased in Europe should be subject to the order of the 
Commander-in-Chief, aroused the jealousy of Congress, the members of 
■which were not satisfied that the head of the army should possess such an 
agent, in addition to his military power. But fortunately M. de la Luzerne 
discovered in Count de Vergennes's letter to him, that General Washington, 
" or some other person," was indicated. The knowledge of this fact quieted 
the anxieties of Congress and relieved Washington from a task which he 
had no desire to perform and which would have excited the jealousy of his 
enemies. Prior to this date, France had donated to the United States the 
Bum of three millions of livres, making, with the six millions mentioned 
above, nine millions in all, or about one million eight hundred thousand 
dollars. 

FKIDAY, JUNE 15. 

At New Windsor : Issues an order, congratulating the 
army on the successes of the American arms under General 
Greene in South Carolina, reciting the forced evacuation of 
Camden by Lord Eawdon, the surrender of Orangeburgh 
to General Sumter, of Fort Mott to General Marion, and 
Fort Granby to Lieutenant-Colonel Lee; and declaring 
these brilliant successes to be a presage that, with proper 
exertions, the enemy would soon be expelled from every 
part of the continent. 

MONDAY, JUNE 18. 

At New Windsor : " June 18th. — Brigaded the Troops, 
and made an arrangement of the army, which is to march 
for the new Camp in three divisions — the 1st on Thursday 
the 21st.— the 2d on the 23d.— and the 3d on the 24th. inst." 
— Washington's Journal. 

" June 23d. — The army is now concentrated to a point in this place [near 
Peekskill], and encamped in two lines, and in the same regular order that 
the troops usually form in a line of battle, occupying a very large extent of 
ground and covering fields of corn, grain and meadows. Our brigade is 
stationed on the left of the second line. The campaign is now about to be 
opened, and we expect in a few days that the French Army will form a junc- 
tion with us to co-operate with our troops." — Thaeher^s Military Jou7-nal. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 223 

MONDAY, JUNE 25. 

At Peekskill ; '^Jiine 25th. — Joined the army at its En- 
campment at Peekskill — Mrs. Washington set out at the 
same time towards Virginia. . . . Had an interview with 
Govr. Clinton, Lieut. Govr Courtlandt & Generals Schuyler 
& Tenbrook." — Washington's Journal. 

" The Van Cortlandt House, two miles east of Peekskill, erected in 1773, 
in the midst of one of the fine estates of that family, was occupied by 
Washington, for a brief space, as head-quarters." — Lossing's Field-Book, i. 
738. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 26. 

At Peekskill: Orderly Booh — "The Commander-in- 
Chief has the pleasure of announcing to the army the ap- 
proach of the troops of his most Christian Majesty under 
the command of his Excellency Lieutenant-General Count 
de Rochambeau." 

THUKSDAY, JUNE 28. 

At Peekskill : " I am extremely obliged to you for the 
assistance you have already afforded us in the article of 
flour. Without that aid, we should have been already dis- 
tressed ; and I must confess to you, that I see no prospect 
of being supplied, but through your means, as, by the last 
letters from the President and Council of Pennsylvania, I 
could expect little or nothing from that quarter." — Wash- 
ington to Robert Morris. 

" Not being prepared in my official character with funds or means of ac- 
complishing the supplies you need, I have written to General Schuyler and 
to Mr. Thomas Lowrey in New Jersey, requesting their immediate exer- 
tions to procure upon their own credit one thousand barrels of flour each, 
and send the same forward in parcels as fast as procured to camp, deliver- 
able to your Excellency's order; and I have pledged myself to pay them in 
hard money for the costs and charges, within a month, six weeks, or two 
months. I shall make it a point to procure the money, being determined 
never to make an engagement that cannot be fulfilled ; for if by any means 
I should fail in this respect, I will quit my office as useless from that 
moment." — Robert Morris to Washington, May 29. 



224 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

FKIDAY, JUNE 29. 

At Peeksklll : "On the 29tli [of June], I got on horse- 
back to see some barracks which had been occupied by an 
American regiment during the winter ; my purpose was to 
establish a hospital there. On the road I met General 
"Washington, who was going to review a part of his troops. 
He recognized me, stopped and invited me to dine with him 
at three o'clock. I repaired thither; there were twenty- 
five covers used by some ofiicers of the army and a lady to 
whom the house belonged in which the general lodged. 
"We dined under the tent. I was placed alongside of the 
general. One of his aides-de-camp did the honors. The 
table was served in the American style and pretty abun- 
dantly : vegetables, roast beef, lamb, chickens, salad dressed 
with nothing but vinegar, green peas, puddings and some 
pie, a kind of tart, greatly in use in England and among the 
Americans, all this being put upon the table at the same 
time. They gave us on the same plate beef, green peas, 
lamb, &c." — Diary of Claude Blanchard, p. 115. 

SATUKDAT, JUNE 30. 

At Peekskill : " In the fullest confidence I inform you, 
that I intend to make an attempt by surprise upon the ene- 
my's posts on the north end of York Island on Monday 
night." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

MONDAY, JULY 2. 

On the march to Valentine's Hill : ^'■July 2d. — At three 
o'clock this morning I commenced my march with the Con- 
tinental Army in order to cover the detached Troops — and 
improve any advantages which might be gained by them — 
made a small halt at the New bridge over Croton abt. 9 
miles from Peekskill — another at the Church by Tarry 
Town till Dusk (9 miles more) and compleated the remain- 
ing part of the mar[ch] in the night — arriving at Valentine's 
Hill (at Mile square) about sunrise. Our Baggage & Tents 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 225 

were left standing at the Camp at Peekskill." — Washington's 
Journal. 

The French army left Newport June 9, and after halting at Providence 
eight days, again took up the line of march, passing through Plainfield, 
Windham, Bolton, Hartford, Farmington, Newtown, and Ridgebury, Con- 
necticut, arriving at Bedford, New York, on July 2. From the latter 
place, the legion of Lauzun made a forced march in advance and reached 
East Chester very early in the morning of July 3. 



TUESDAY, JULY 3. 

At Valentine's Hill : ^'■July 3fl. — I spent good part of the 
day in reconnoitering the Enemys works. — In the afternoon 
we retired to Valentine's Hill [four miles from Kingsbridge] 
& lay upon our arms — Duke Lauzen & Waterbury lay on 
the East Side of the Brunx river on the East Chester road." 
— Washington's Journal. 

"Valentine's Hill, eight o'clock, p.m., 3 July, 1781. — The operations of 
this day are over, and I am sorry to say, that I have not had the happiness 
to succeed to my wishes, although I think very essential benefit will result 
to our future operations from the opportunity I have had, in a very full 
manner, to reconnoitre the position and works of the enemy on the north 
end of York Island. . . . The American army and the Legion of the Duke 
de Lauzun will march to-morrow to White Plains. If it will be convenient 
to you, I shall be happy to receive your Excellency with your troops at 
that place the day after to-morrow." — Washington to Count de Rochambeau. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4. 

I^ear Dobbs' Ferry, Phillipsburg : " Jm?^ 4th. — Marched & 
took a position a little to the left of Dobbs ferry & marked 
a Camp for the French Army upon our left. — ^Duke Lauzen 
marched to the White pin. & Waterbury to Horseneck." — 
Washington's Journal. 

"North Castle, July 4th. — I arrived here with the first brigade yesterday 
at nine o'clock in the morning. The second brigade, by a forced march, 
joined me in the afternoon ; and we are now all together ready to execute 
your orders. I wait with the greatest impatience to hear from you and the 
Duke de Lauzun." — Rochambeau to Washington. 

16 



226 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

THUKSDAT, JULY 5. 

Visits the French army at North Castle : '•^July 5. — Gen- 
eral "Washington came to see M. de Rochambeau. IlTotified 
of his approach, we mounted our horses and went out to 
meet him. He received us with the affability which is 
natural to him and depicted on his countenance. He is a 
very fine looking man, but did not surprise me as much as 
I expected from the descriptions I had heard of him. His 
physiognomy is noble in the highest degree, and his man- 
ners are those of one perfectly accustomed to society, quite 
a rare thing certainly in America. He paid a visit to our 
camp, dined with us, and later we escorted him several 
miles on his return and took leave of him." — Diary of Baron 
Cromoi dii Bourg, Magazine of American History, iv. 

On the 6th of July the French troops broke camp at North Castle and 
marched to make a junction with the main body of the American army at 
Phillipsburg, twelve miles from Kingsbridge. The junction was made in 
the evening, on the grounds which had been marked out on the left of the 
American lines, the right of which rested on the Hudson, near Dobbs' Ferry. 
The line of the French army extended to the Brunx Kiver, with a valley of 
considerable extent between the two armies. Washington made his head- 
quarters at the house of Joseph Appleby, the " Appleby Place," on the 
cross-road from Dobbs' Ferry to White Plains, and about three and a half 
miles from the ferry. The house, which was destroyed some years ago, 
stood on a little elevation, still called Washington's Hill. Rochambeau's 
quarters were at the Odell house, still standing, about a mile and a half east 
of the " Appleby Place." 

FRIDAY, JULY 6. 

At Phillipsburg : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
chief with pleasure embraces the earliest public opportunity 
of expressing his thanks to his Excellency, the Count de 
Rochambeau, for the unremitting zeal with which he has 
prosecuted his march, in order to form the long wished-for 
junction between the French and American forces; an 
event, which must afford the highest degree of pleasure to 
every friend of his country, and from which the happiest 
consequences are to be expected." 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 227 

SATURDAY, JULY 7. 

At Phillipsburg : " Jw^y 7th. — Our army was drawn up in 
a line and reviewed by General Rochambeau, Commander 
in Chief of the French army, with his Excellency General 
"Washington, and other general officers." — Thacher's Military 
Journal. 

SUNDAY, JULY 8. 

At Phillipsburg : " July 8. — In the afternoon of the 8th 
General Washington reviewed the two armies; we went 
first to the American army, which may have amounted to 
four thousand and some hundred men at the most. It 
seemed to me to be in as good order as possible for an army 
composed of men without uniforms and with narrow re- 
sources. The Rhode Island regiment, among others, is ex- 
tremely fine. We went thence to the French army, which, 
though unpretending, has quite another style. The Ameri- 
cans admit it ; they all seemed to be delighted as well as 
their General." — Diary of Baron Cromot du Bourg. 

^^ July 9th. — Received a Letter from the Marqs de la Fayette informing 
me of Cornwallis's retreat to Williamsburg." — Washington's Journal. 

TUESDAY, JULY 10. 

At Phillipsburg : " July 10th. — Another review took place 
in presence of the French ambassador, from Philadelphia, 
after which the French army passed a review in presence 
of the general officers of both armies." — Thachefs Military 
Journal. 

" The heat was excessive ; it was not moderated until the 10th by a great 
rain which lasted all night and passed through all the tents. I dined that 
day at the intendant's [M. de Tarle] with General Washington. He was 
rather grave; it was said that there had been a little misunderstanding 
between him and General Rochambeau. General Washington's army was 
encamped near ours ; it was about 4000 men." — Diary of Claude Blanchard, 
p. 120. 

SATURDAY, JULY 14. 

At Phillipsburg : " July 14. — I went with M. de Rocham- 



228 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

beau to dine with General Lincoln, where also were General 
"Washington, Messrs. de Viosmenil, de Chatelux and de 
Lauzun. There were conferences enough to give me the 
impression that within a very short time some movement 
will be made : in fact at five o'clock in the afternoon M. de 
Rochambeau made his preparations for a march." — Diary I 
of Baron Cromot du Bourg. ' 

' " July 14th. — Near 5000 men being ordered to march for Kingsbridge, to i 

cover and secure a reconnoitre of the Enemy's works on the No. end of I 

York Island, Harlaem river, & the Sound, were prevented doing so by in- 
cessant rain." — Washington' s Journal. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18. 

At Phillipsburg : " July 18th. — I passed the I^orth River, 
with Count de Rochambeau — Genl. de Beville, his Qr. Mr. 
Genl. & Genl. Duportail in order to reconnoitre the Enemy 
Posts and Encampments at the North end of York Island 
— and took an Escort of 150 Men from the Jersey Troops 
on the other side." — Washington's Journal. 

SATURDAY, JULY 21. 

On the march to Kingsbridge : " July 21st. — Again ordered 
abt. 5000 men to be ready to march at 8 o'clock [in the 
evening], for the purpose of reconnoitering the enemy's 
Posts at Kingsbridge — and to cut oiF, if possible, such of 
Delaney's Corps as should be found without their lines. 
At the hour appointed the march commenced in 4 columns 
on different roads. ... At Mile Square (Valentine's hill) 
the left column of the American Troops and right of the 
French formed their junction, as did the left of the French 
also by mistake, as it was intended it should cross the Brunx 
by Garrineaus, & recross it at William's bridge. The whole 
Army (Parson's division first) arrived at Kingsbridge [four- 
teen miles from New York] about daylight & formed on the 
heights back of Fort Independence — extending towards 
delaney's Mills." — Washington's Journal. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 229 

SUNDAY, JULY 22. 

At Kingsbridge: ^^ July 22d. — After having fixed upon 
the ground, & formed ouc line, I began, with General Ro- 
chambeau and the Engineers, to reconnoitre the enemy's 
position and works." — Washington's Journal. 

" While near the enemy's lines, the army was drawn up in a line of battle, 
and General "Washington, General Kochambeau, and all the general oflBcers 
and engineers, were employed in reconnoitering the different positions of 
the enemy's works in all directions." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

MONDAY, JULY 23. 

On the march to Phillipsburg : " July 23d. — ^Went upon 
Froffs Neck to see what communication could be had 
with Long Isld, the Engineers attending with Instrumts, 
to measure the distance across, found it to be — yards. 
Having finished the reconnoitre without damage — a few 
harmless shot being fired at us — we marched back about 
Six o'clock by the same road we went down & a reversed 
order of March, and arrived in Camp about Midnight." — 
Washington'' s Journal. 

" July 23. — At half-past five in the morning we mounted again to make 
a reconnoissance of a part of Long Island which is separated from the con- 
tinent by the Sound ; several vessels which were there fired upon us without 
doing us any harm. We returned thence to Morrisania to examine again a 
part of the island on our way back. I need not mention the sang froid of 
General Washington, it is well known ; but this great man is a thousand 
times more noble and splendid at the head of his army than at any other 
time." — Diary of Baron Cromot du Bourg. 

On the 23d of July, Washington and Kochambeau dined at the Van 
Cortlandt house, about one mile north of Kingsbridge. 

MONDAY, JULY 30. 

At Phillipsburg : " I think we have already effected one 
part of the plan of the campaign settled at Weathersfield ; 
that is, giving a substantial relief to the southern States, by 
obliging the enemy to recall a considerable part of their 
force from thence. Our views must now be turned towards 



230 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON [1781 

endeavouring to expel them totally from those States, if we 
find ourselves incompetent to the siege of New York." 
— Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

" August 4, 1781. — I have seen General Washington, that most singular 
man — the soul and support of one of the greatest revolutions that has ever 
happened, or can happen. . . . He is of tall and noble stature, well propor- 
tioned, a fine, cheerful, open countenance, a simple and modest carriage ; 
and his whole mien has something in it that interests the French, the Ameri- 
cans, and even enemies themselves in his favor. . . . He has ever shown 
himself superior to fortune, and in the most trying adversity has discovered 
resources till then unknown ; and, as if his abilities only increased and dilated 
at the prospect of difficulty, he is never better supplied than when he seems 
destitute of every thing, nor have his arms ever been so fatal to his enemies, 
as at the very instant when they had thought they had crushed him for ever. 
... In all these extensive states they consider him in the light of a benefi- 
cent God, dispensing peace and happiness around him. Old men, women 
and children, press about him when he accidentally passes along, and think 
themselves happy, once in their lives, to have seen him — they follow him 
through the towns with torches, and celebrate his arrival by public illumi- 
nations. The Americans, that cool and sedate people, who in the midst of 
their most trying difficulties, have attended only to the directions and im- 
pulses of plain method and common sense, are roused, animated, and in- 
flamed at the very mention of his name : and the first songs that sentiment 
or gratitude has dictated, have been to celebrate General Washington." — 
Abbe Robin, chaplain of the regiment Soissonnais. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 6. 

At Phillipsburg : ^^ August 6th. — The Commander in 
Chief, attended by a number of the General Officers, recon- 
noitred towards King's Bridge, covered by strong detach- 
ments of cavalry and infantry." — Heath's Metnoirs. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11. 

At Phillipsburg: ^^ August 11th. — Robt. Morris Esqr. 
Superintendent of Finance & Richd. Peters Esq. a member 
of the Board of "War, arrived at camp to fix with me the 
number of men necessary for the next campaign — and to 
make the consequent arrangements for their establishment 
and Support." — Washington's Journal. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 231 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14. 

At Phillipsburg : " August 14th. — Received dispatches 
from the Count de Barras, announcing the intended de- 
parture of the Count de Grasse from Cape Francois with 
between 25 & 29 Sail of the line & 3200 land Troops on the 
3d Instant for Chesapeake bay. . . . Matters having now 
come to a crisis, and a decisive plan to be determined on — 
I was obliged, from the shortness of Count de Grasse's 
promised stay on this coast — the apparent disinclination in 
their naval officers to force the harbour of New York, and 
the feeble compliance of the States to my requisitions for 
men, hitherto, & little prospect of greater exertion in future, 
to give up all idea of attacking iN'ew York; & instead 
thereof to remove the French Troops & a detachment from 
the American Army to the Head of Elk, to be transported 
to Virginia for the purpose of cooperating with the force 
from the West Indies against the Troops in that State." — 
Washington's Journal. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15. 

At Phillipsburg : " The Concorde frigate has arrived at 
N'ewport from Count de Grasse. He was to leave St. 
Domingo the 3d of this month, with a fleet of between 
twenty-five and twenty-nine sail of the line, and a consider- 
able body of land forces. His destination is immediately 
for the Chesapeake ; so that he will either be there by 
the time this reaches you, or you may look for him every 
moment." — Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16. 

At Phillipsburg : " August 16. — In the morning the regi- 
ment of Bourbonnais manoeuvred before General Washing- 
ton who seemed well satisfied. In the afternoon he saw 
that of Deux Fonts which was no less successful." — Diary 
of Baron Cromot du Bourg. 



232 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

" August leth. — Letters from the Marqs. de la Fayette & others, inform 
that Lord Cornwallis with the Troops from Hampton Koad, had proceeded 
up York Kiver & landed at York and Gloucester Towns where they were 
throwing up works on the 6th inst." — Washington's Journal. 

FKIDAY, AUGUST 17. 

At Phillipsburg : " In consequence of the despatches re- 
ceived from your Excellency by the frigate La Concorde, it 
has been judged expedient to give up for the present the 
enterprise against New York, and turn our attention towards 
the south, with a view, if we should not be able to attempt 
Charleston itself, to recover and secure the States of Vir- 
ginia, North Carolina, and the country of South Carolina 
and Georgia. "We may add a further inducement for giving 
up the first-mentioned enterprise, which is the arrival of a 
reinforcement of near three thousand Hessian recruits. For 
this purpose we have determined to remove the whole of 
the French army, and as large a detachment of the Amer- 
ican as can be spared, to the Chesapeake, to meet your 
Excellency there." — Washington to Count de Grasse, 

" August 17th. — The whole of the French army, with the two regiments 
of New Jersey, first regiment of New- York, Col. Hazen's regiment. Col. 
Olney's regiment of Khode Island, Col. Lamb's regiment of artillery, and 
the light troops under the command of Col. Scammel, were detached for the 
expedition against Lord Cornwallis, and the army under his command, at 
York-Town, in Virginia." — Heath's Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19. 

Leaves Phillipsburg : ^^ August 19th. — The want of Horses, 
or bad condition of them in the French Army delayed the 
March till this day. . . . Passed Sing Sing with the Ameri- 
can column — The French column marched by the way of 
Korth castle Crompond & Pines bridge being near ten miles 
further." — Washington's Journal. 

"August 19th. — About noon, his Excellency Gen. Washington left the 
army, setting his face towards his native State, in full confidence, to use his 
own words, ' with a common blessing,' of capturing Lord Cornwallis and his 
army." — Heath's Mem,oirs. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 233 

MONDAY, AUGUST 20. 

At King's Ferry: ''August 20tli.— The head of the 
Americans arrived at King's ferry about ten o'clock and 
immediately began to cross." — Washington's Journal. 

During the crossing of the allied armies at King's Ferry, Washington 
had his head-quarters at the Joshua Hett Smith house, about two and a half 
miles below Stony Point, the western landing of the ferry. The house, 
which possesses historical interest, from being the place at which Andre and 
Arnold had their meeting (September 22, 1780), is still standing. It is 
beautifully situated on the ridge of a hill which commands an extensive 
view of the Hudson. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21. 

At King's Ferry: "August 21st. — In the course of this 
day the whole of the American Troop, all their baggage, 
artillery & stores crossed the river." — Washington's Journal. 

" On the 21st. the [French] army left Northcastle. In the evening I re- 
ceived orders from the general [Kochambeau] to carry a letter to General 
Washington, who was already on the other side of the North river, where 
we also were beginning to form some establishments. The Americans were 
already much farther off than I had supposed ; I joined them nevertheless: 
General Washington was occupying Smith's house, famous owing to the 
fact that there Andre and Arnold had held their meeting. General Wash- 
ington was taking tea; I took it with him." — Diary of Claude Blanchard, 
p. 127. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22. 

At King's Ferry : ''August 22d, 23d, 24th, & 25th— Em- 
ployed in transporting the French Army — its baggage and 
stores over the river." — Washington's Journal. 

^'■August 22. — The troops arrived in quite good season at their camp [at 
King's Ferry], which was pitched on the brow of a hill overlooking the 
North Kiver. They remained there the 23d and 24th. During this time 
arrangements were made for the passage of the River by all the trains and 
troops, quite a difficult matter, there being but few boats. August 23. — As 
the Headquarters remained at Peskill [Peekskill], there being at King's 
Ferry only the single house which belonged to the man who owns the 
Ferry, M. de Kochambeau was not willing to pass so near West Point as 
nine miles, without seeing it. He left by boat at eight o'clock in the morn- 



234 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

ing to visit it with General Washington and several officers." — Diary of 
Baron Cromot du Bourg. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24. 

At King's Ferry : " From the progress already made in 
our marcli towards the Chesapeake, it is estimated that the 
troops may arrive at the Head of Elk by the 8th of Septem- 
ber." — Washington to Count de Gh^asse. 

" On the 25th. I went myself to the spot [King's Ferry] and saw many 
of the troops and much baggage cross. General Washington was there ; 
they had provided a pavilion for him, from which he examined everything 
very attentively. He seemed, in this crossing, in the march of our troops 
towards the Chesapeake bay and in our reunion with M. de Grasse, to see a 
better destiny arise, when at this period of the war, exhausted, destitute of 
resources, he needed a great success which might revive courage and hope. 
He pressed my hand with much aflfection when he left us and crossed the 
river himself. It was about two o'clock. He then rejoined his array, 
which had commenced its march in the morning, as also the first division 
of our army. ' ' — Diary of Claude Blanchard. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 27. 

At Chatham, !N"ew Jersey : " I must entreat you, if possi- 
ble, to procure one month's pay in specie for the detach- 
ment, which I have under my command. Part of those 
troops have not been paid anything for a long time past, 
and have upon several occasions shown marks of great dis- 
content. The service they are going upon is disagreeable 
to the northern regiments; but I make no doubt that a 
douceur of a little hard money would put them in proper 
temper. . . . The American detachment will assemble in 
this neighborhood to-day ; the French army to-morrow." — 
Washington to JRohert Morris. 

" When they arrived at Philadelphia, the Army discovered great discon- 
tent at not receiving certain arrears of pay long withheld from them. It 
was thought neither prudent or safe to proceed farther without making pay 
at least in part. Money was also wanted to hire vessels & other means to 
proceed down the Chesapeake Bay. The Treasury was empty — Congress 
had no means to raise the money — requisitions had been voted in vain. In 
this exigency the vigorous exertions of the Hon. Eobert Morris the Super- 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 235 

intendent of Finances, relieved their distress. He went out among his mer- 
cantile & other Friends, and borrowed on his own responsibility upwards 
of 30,000 Dollars which answered every purpose, and the Army soon ap- 
peared before York Town." — MS. of Elias Boudinot. 

Twenty thousand hard dollars of this amount was borrowed from Count de 
Kochambeau, which Mr. Morris engaged to replace by the 1st of October. The 
arrival of Colonel Laurens at Boston from his mission to France, on the 25th 
of August, with two millions and a half of livres, part of the donation of six 
millions, enabled the Superintendent of Finance to fulfil his engagement. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28. 

At New Brunswick, New Jersey : ^^Aug. 28. — To Expen- 
ditures on my March from y* White Plains, or Dobb's Ferry 
"by y« way of King's ferry to Brunswick inclusive . . . 
£38.15.0." — Washington's Accounts. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29. 

At Trenton, New Jersey : " September 1st. — Letters were 
received from Gen. Washington, dated at Trenton, the 29th 
ult." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" August 30th. — I set out for Philadelphia to arrange matters there — pro- 
vide vessels — & hasten the transportation of the Ordnance Stores, «fec. — 
directing before I set out, the Seed. York Kegiment (which had not all 
arrived from Albany before we left King's ferry) to follow with the boats — 
Intrenching Tools &c. Arrived at Philadelphia to dinner and immediately 
hastened up all the vessels that could be procured — but finding them in- 
adequate to the purpose of transporting both Troops and Stores, Count de 
Kochambeau and myself concluded it would be best to let the Troops 
march by land to the Head of Elk, & gave directions accordingly to all 
but the 2d York regiment, which was ordered (with its baggage) to come 
down in the Batteaux they had in charge to Christiana bridge." — Wash~ 
ington's Journal. 

THUKSDAY, AUGUST 30. 

At Philadelphia : " On Thursday, the 30th of August, at 
one o'clock in the afternoon, his Excellency the Commander- 
in-chief of the American armies, accompanied by the Gen- 
erals Kochambeau and Chastellux, with their respective 
Suites, arrived in this city. The General was received by 
the militia light horse in the suburbs, and escorted into the 



236 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

town ; he stopped at the City Tavern and received the visit 
of several gentlemen; from thence he proceeded to the 
house of the Superintendent of Finance [Robert Morris], 
where he now has his head-quarters. About three o'clock 
he went up to the State House, and paid his respects to 
Congress. He then returned to the Superintendent's, where 
his Excellency the President of Congress [Thomas M'Kean] 
with the Generals before mentioned, General Knox, General 
Sullivan, and several other gentlemen, had the pleasure of 
dining with him. After dinner some vessels belonging to 
this port, and those lying in the stream, fired salutes to the 
different toasts which were drank. In the evening the city 
was illuminated, and his Excellency walked through some 
of the principal streets, attended by a numerous concourse 
of people, eagerly pressing to see their beloved General." — 
Pennsylvania Packet^ September 1, 1781. 

" August 30th, 1781. — Went out to meet his Excellency General "Wash- 
ington, who arrived in this city about one o'clock, amidst the universal ac- 
clamations of the citizens, who displayed every mark of joy on the occasion. 
His Excellency alighted at the City Tavern, received the compliments of 
many gentlemen, who went out to escort him, and of others who came there 
to pay liim their respects, and then adjourned to my house [South Front 
Street] with his suit. Count de Kochambeau, the Chevalier Chastellux, Gen- 
eral Knox, General Moultrie, and others, to dinner. The owners of several 
ships in the harbor ordered them out into the stream, and fired salutes, 
■whilst we drank. The United States, His Most Christian Majesty, His 
Catholic Majesty, The United Provinces, The Allied Armies, Count de 
Grasse's speedy arrival, &c &c." — Diary of Robert Morris, "Diplomatic 
Correspondence," xi. 462. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. 

At Philadelphia : " Should the retreat of Lord Cornwallis 
by water be cut off, I am persuaded you will do all in your 
power to prevent his escape by land. May that great felicity 
be reserved for you." — Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

" A certain warrior [Marquis de Lafayette] at the head of twelve or 
fifteen hundred men, has found means to keep his ground all this time in 
Virginia; the impetuous Arnold, and the active Cornwallis, not daring to 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 237 

attempt anything against him. You will doubtless suppose, that this warrior 
is one of those men, whom long experience and brilliant successes, have 
rendered formidable to the enemy. This leader, I assure you, is a man of 
only twenty-four years of age, who has left the arms of an aflPectionate and 
amiable wife, a residence among pleasures and high life, where his name, 
and an alliance with an illustrious family, opened a great way to the greatest 
dignities, to come to this country, and, under the American Fabius, defend 
the sacred cause of liberty, and learn to serve his king and country." — Abbe 
Robin. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3. 

At Philadelphia : " On Monday and Tuesday last the 
French army, under the command of his Excellency Count 
de Rochambeau, passed in review before his Excellency the 
President and the Honorable the Congress of the United 
States, at the State House in this city. The President was 
covered, his Excellency General Washington, Commander- 
in-Chief, the Count de Rochambeau, etc., stood on his left 
hand, uncovered." — Pennsylvania Packet, September 8, 1781. 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4. 

At Philadelphia : " In the evening [September 4] I re- 
paired to the house of M. de la Luzerne [north side of 
Chestnut Street, between Sixth and Seventh Streets], who 
was giving a great dinner to the chief officer of the Con- 
gress, General Washington, and the principal officers of our 
troops." — Diary of Claude Blanchard, p. 136. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. 

Leaves Philadelphia : " September 5th. — The rear of the 
French army having reached Philadelphia, and the Amer- 
icans having passed it, the stores having got up and every 
thing in a tolerable train here ; I left this city for the head 
of Elk to hasten the embarkation at that place, and on my 
way — (at Chester) — received the agreeable news of the safe 
arrival of the Count de Grasse in the Bay of Chesapeake 
with 28 sail of the line and four frigates, with 3000 land 
Troops which were to be immediately debarked at James- 
town and form a junction with the American army under 



238 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

the command of the Marquis de la Fayette." — Washington's 
Journal. 

THUKSDAY, SEPTEMBEK 6. 

At Head of Elk, Maryland : " I have been honored by 
your Exeelleney's favor of the 2d instant, and do myself the 
pleasure to felicitate you on the happy arrival of so for- 
midable a fleet of his Most Christian Majesty in the Bay of 
Chesapeake under your Excellency's command." — Washing- 
ton to Count de Grasse. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 

At Head of Elk : " I shall set out for the theatre of action 
to-morrow, and hope to have the pleasure of communicating 
with you personally in a few days, and of making every ar- 
rangement, in conjunction with the admiral, which may be 
deemed necessary." — Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. 

At Baltimore, Maryland : " General "Washington accom- 
panied by the Count Rochambeau, general Hand, major 
general baron Yiomenil, brigadier general Chatelux and 
Gen. Clinton passed through town, the eighth September, 
most of the allied army going by water from Elkton to An- 
napolis. On this occasion the town was illuminated and an 
address from the citizens and inhabitants, was presented to 
the commander in chief, which he answered." — Annals of 
Baltimore. 

^'^ Baltimore, September 11, 1781. — Last Saturday afternoon [September 
8] his excellency general "Washington (accompanied by adjutant general 
Hand, and other officers of distinction) arrived at the Fountain-Inn, in this 
town, on his way to Virginia. His excellency was received in this vicinity, 
and escorted to his quarters, by Captain Moore's troop of light dragoons, 
where he was most respectfully complimented by a number of gentlemen. 
The Baltimore artillery companies gave his excellency a handsome salute, 
and the inhabitants in general, seemed to vie with each other in testifying 
their respect and affection for his person and character. In the evening 
every part of the town was elegantly illuminated. Very early the next 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 239 

morning his excellency (with his attendants) proceeded on his journey, the 
object of which is obvious, and, undoubtedly, of the last importance." — 
Pennsylvania Packet, September 18, 1781. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. 

At Mount Vernon, Virginia : " September 9tli — I reached 
my own Seat at Mount Vernon (distance 120 miles from the 
H'd of Elk) where I staid till the 12th, and in three days 
afterwards — that is on the 14th — reached "Williamsburg." — 
Washington's Journal 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBEE 10. 

At Mount Vernon : " We are thus far on our way to you. 
The Count de Rochambeau has just arrived. General 
Chastellux will be here, and we propose, after resting to- 
morrow, to be at Fredericksburg on the night of the 12th. 
The 13th we shall reach ISTew Castle ; and the next day we 
expect to have the pleasure of seeing you at your encamp- 
ment [at "Williamsburg]." — Washington to the Marquis de 
Lafayette. 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. 

At Mount Vernon : " I intended on passing thro' Mary- 
land, to have done myself the pleasure to have called on 
your Excellency, but circumstances pressing upon me, as I 
advanced on my march, & Time slipping too fast from me, 
I found a necessity of getting on with that rapidity as has 
obliged me to proceed without calling at Annapolis." — 
Washington to Governor Lee. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 

At Williamsburg, Virginia : " Sept. 14th. — In the evening 
about four o'clock twenty-one pieces of cannon were fired 
on the arrival of his Excellency General George Washing- 
ton. There was a universal joy amongst our officers and 
soldiers, especially the French troops, on his arrival." — 
Journal of Lieutenant William Feltman, " Collections, Hist. 
Soc. of Penna.," 1853. 



240 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

Washington's head-quarters at Williamsburg were at the Wythe House, 
" a stately colonial mansion, fronting upon a long narrow common, called 
the Palace Green." The house, a large two-story brick building, is still 
standing ; it was the home of George Wythe, one of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence, and sole Chancellor of Yirginia for more than 
twenty years. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. 

Visits Count de Grasse : " September ITth. — In company 
with the Count de Rochambeau, the Chevr Chastellux, 
Genls. Knox and Duportail, I set out for the interview with 
the Admiral, and arrived on board the Ville de Paris (off 
Cape Henry) the next day by noon, and having settled most 
points with him to my satisfaction except not obtaining an 
assurance of sending ships above York — and one that he 
could not continue his fleet on this station longer than the 
first of November, I embarked on board the Queen Char- 
lotte (the vessel I went down in), but by hard blowing and 
contrary winds, did not reach Williamsburg again till the 
22d." — Washington's Journal. 

^'September 25th. — Admiral de Barras having joined the Count de Grasse 
with the Squadron and Transports from Rhode Island, and the latter with 
some Frigates being sent to Baltimore for the remaind' of the French army, 
arrived this day at the usual port of debarkation above the College Creek, 
and began to land the Troops from them." — Washington's Journal. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. 

On the march to Yorktown : " September 28th. — Having 
debarked all the Troops and their Baggage — marched — and 
encamped them in Front of the city — and having with some 
difficulty obtained horses and waggons sufficient to move 
our field Artillery, Intrenching Tools — and such other ar- 
ticles as were indispensably necessary — we commenced our 
march for the Investiture of the Enemy at York. — The 
American Continental, and French troops formed one col- 
umn on the left — the first in advance — the Militia composed 
the right column. . . . About noon the head of each col- 
umn arrived at its ground. . . . The line being formed all 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 241 

the Troops — officers & men — ^lay upon their arms during 
the night." — Washington's Journal. 

" On the night of September 28, Washington and his staff bivouacked on 
the ground in the open air. He slept under a mulberry-tree, the root serv- 
ing for a pillow." — Irving, iv. 356. 

SATUKDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. 

Before Yorktown : " September 29th. — Moved the Ameri- 
can Troop more to the right, and Encamped on the East 
side of Be[a]ver dam Creek, with a morass in front about 
cannon shot from the enemy's lines — Spent this day in rec- 
onnoitering the enemy's position, & determining upon a 
plan of attack & approach which must be done without the 
assistance of shipping above the Town as the Admiral — 
(notwithstanding my earnest solicitation) declined hazard- 
ing any vessells on that station." — Washington's Journal. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30. 

Before Yorktown : " September 30th. — The enemy aban- 
doned all their exterior works, & the position they had 
taken without the Town; & retired within their Interior 
works of defence in the course of last night — immediately 
upon which we possessed them & made those on our left 
(with a little alteration) very serviceable to us — We also 
began two enclosed works on the right of Pidgeon Hill — 
between that & the ravine above More's Mill." — Wash- 
ington's Journal. 

On the 30th the place was completely invested by the allied armies, their 
line extending in a semicircle at a distance of about a mile and a quarter 
from the British works, each wing resting upon the York River. The 
French occupied the left, the Americans the right, while Count de Grasse 
with his fleet remained in Lynn Haven Bay, to beat ofl" any naval force 
which might come to the aid of Cornwallis. On the extreme left of the 
besieging army were the regiments of Gatinois (Royal Auvergne), Tour- 
aine, and Agenois, under the Marquis de St.-Simon, and next to them 
were the light-infantry regiments of Saintonge, Soissonnais, Royal Deux- 
Ponts, and Bourbonnais, commanded by the Baron and Viscount Viomenil. 

17 



242 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

The French artillery and the quarters of General Washington and Count 
de Kochambeau occupied the centre ; and on the right, across a marsh, were 
the American artillery, under General Knox ; the Virginia, Maryland, and 
Pennsylvania troops, under Steuben ; the New York, Ehode Island, and 
New Jersey troops, with sappers and miners, under General James Clinton ; 
the light infantry, under the Marquis de Lafayette ; and the Virginia 
militia, under Governor Nelson. The quarters of General Lincoln were on 
the banks of Wormley's Creek, on the extreme right. During the siege 
the Americans and French, under Generals Choisy and Weedon and the 
Duke de Laiizun, blockaded Gloucester. 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1. 

Before Yorktown : " Oct. Ist. — This afternoon, three 
o'clock his excellency Gen'l Washington, Gen. Duportail 
and several other engineers crossed at the mill dam to take 
a view of the enemy's works. His excellency sent one of 
his Aides de Camp for Capt. Smith and his guard of fifty 
men to march in front of his Excellency as a covering party, 
which we did, and went under cover of a hill, where we 
posted our guard, when his Excellency Gen'l Washington 
and Gen'l Duportail with three men of our guard advanced 
within three hundred yards of the enemy's main works, 
which is the town of York." — Journal of Lieutenant William 
Feltman. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6. 

Before Yorktown: ^^ October 6th. — Before morning the 
Trenches were in such forwardness as to cover the men 
from the enemy's fire — The work was executed with so 
much secresy & dispatch that the enemy were, I believe, 
totally ignorant of our labor till the light of the morning 
discovered it to them." — Washington's Journal. 

"The Commander in Chief congratulates the Army upon the late victory 
obtained over the Enemy at Eutaw Springs in South Carolina [September 
8]. He returns his warmest acknowledgements to General Greene for his 
admirable General Plann of operations, his judicious dispositions on the 
present Occasion and the exemplary vigor with which he conducted their 
execution." — Orderly Book, October 6. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 243 

SUNDAY, OCTOBEK 7. 

Before Yorktown : " October 7tli and 8th. — "Was employed 
in compleating our Parallel — finishing the redoubts in them 
and establishing Batteries." — Washington's Journal. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9. 

Before Yorktown : " October 9th. — "We erected a battery 
last night in front of our first parallel, without any annoy- 
ance from the enemy. Two or three of our batteries being 
now prepared to open on the town, his Excellency General 
Washington put the match to the first gun, and a furious 
discharge of cannon and mortars immediately followed, and 
Earl Cornwallis has received his first Salutation." — Thacher's 
Military Journal. 

*' October 9th. — About 3 o'clock p.m. the French opened a battery on our 
extreme left of 4 sixteen pounders, and six Morters & Howitzers — and at 
5 o'clock an American battery of six 18s & 24s ; four Morters & 2 Howitzers 
began to play from the extremity of our right. — October 10th — The French 
opened two batteries on the left of our front parallel. . . . And the Ameri- 
cans two Batteries between those last mentioned & the one on our extreme 
right. — October 11th — The French opened two other batteries on the left of 
the parallel." — Washington's Journal. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12. 

Before Yorktown : " October 12th. — ^Began our second 
parallel within about 300 yards (and in some places less) of 
the enemy's lines — and got it so well advanced in the course 
of the night as to cover the men before morning." — Wash- 
ington's Journal. 

" I cannot but acknowledge the infinite obligations I am under to His 
Excellency, the Count de Rochambeau, the Marquis St. Simon, command- 
ing the troops from the West Indies, the other general officers, and indeed 
the officers of every denomination in the French army, for the assistance 
which they afford me. The experience of many of those gentlemen, in the 
business before us, is of the utmost advantage in the present operation. 
And I am sensible it must give your Excellency and Congress the highest 
pleasure to know, that the greatest harmony prevails between the two 
armies. They seem actuated by one spirit, that of supporting the honor of 
the allied arms, and pushing their approaches with the utmost vigor." — 
Washington to the President of Congress, October 12. 



244 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

SUNDAY, OCTOBEK 14. 

Before Yorktown : " October 14th. — The day was spent in 
compleating our parallel and maturing the Batteries of the 
second parallel — the old batteries were principally directed 
against the abattis and salient angles of the enemy's ad- 
vanced redoubts on their extreme right and left, to prepare 
them for the intended assault for which the necessary dis- 
positions were made for attacking the two on the left, and, 
— At half after six in the evening both were carried — that 
on their left (on the Bank of the river) by the Americans, 
and the other by the French Troops. The Baron Viominel 
commanded the left attack & the Marq's de la Fayette, the 
right, on which the light Infantry were employed. . . . 
The bravery exhibited by the attacking Troops was emulous 
and praiseworthy — few cases have exhibited stronger proofs 
of Intripidity, coolness and firmness than were shown upon 
this occasion." — Washington's Journal, 

" During the assault, the British kept up an incessant firing of cannon 
and musketry from their whole line. His Excellency General Washington, 
Generals Lincoln and Knox, with their aids, having dismounted, were 
standing in an exposed situation waiting the result. Colonel Cobb, one of 
General Washington's aids, solicitous for his safety, said to his Excellency, 
' Sir, you are too much exposed here, had you not better step a little back?' 
* Colonel Cobb,' replied his Excellency, ' if you are afraid, you have liberty 
to step back,' " — Thacher's Military Journal. 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15. 

Before Yorktown : " October 15th. — Busily employed in 
getting the Batteries of the second parallel compleated, and 
fixing on new ones contiguous to the Redoubts which were 
taken last night. — October 16th — About four o'clock this 
morning, the enemy made a Sortee upon our second par- 
allel and spiked four French pieces of Artillery and two of 
ours, but the guards of the Trenches advancing quickly 
upon them, they retreated precipitately. . . . About 4 
o'clock this afternoon the French opened two Batteries of 
2 24s & four 16s each — 3 pieces from the American grand 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 245 

battery were also opened the others not being ready. — 
October 17th — The Frencli opened another Battery of four 
24s & two 16s and a Morter Battery of 10 Morters and two 
Howitzers — The American grand Battery consisting of 12 
twenty-four and eighteen prs, 4 Morters and two Howitzers." 

— Washington's Journal. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17. 

Before Yorktown : " October 17th. — About ten o'clock the 
enemy beat a parley, and Lord Cornwallis proposed a cessa- 
tion of Hostilities for 24 hours, that Commissioners might 
meet at the house of a Mr. Moore (in the rear of our first 
parallel) to settle terms for the Surrender of the Posts of 
York and Gloucester." — Washington's Journal. 

^'October 18th. — The Commissioners met accordingly; but the business 
was so procrastinated by those on their side (a Colo. Dundas & a Maj'r 
Eoss) that Colo. Laurens & the Viscount de Noailles, who were appointed 
on our part could do no more than make the rough draught of the articles 
which were to be submitted for Lord Cornwallis' consideration." — Washing- 
ion's Journal. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19. 

Surrender of Yorktown : " October 19th. — In the morning 
early I had them [the articles of surrender] copied and sent 
word to Lord Cornwallis that I expected to have them 
signed at 11 o'clock — and that the Garrison would march 
out at two o'clock — both of which were accordingly done." 

— Washington's Journal. 

" At about twelve o'clock, the combined army was arranged and drawn 
up in two lines extending more than a mile in length. The Americans 
were drawn up in a line on the right side of the road, and the French oc- 
cupied the left. At the head of the former the great American commander, 
mounted on his noble courser, took his station, attended by his aids. At the 
head of the latter was posted the excellent Count Rochambeau and his suite. 
... It was about two o'clock when the captive army advanced through 
the line formed for their reception. Every eye was prepared to gaze ou 
Lord Cornwallis, the object of peculiar interest and solicitude ; but he dis- 
appointed our anxious expectations; pretending indisposition, he made 



246 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

General O'Hara his substitute as the leader of his army. This officer was 
followed by the conquered troops in a slow and solemn step, with shouldered 
arms, colors cased and drums beating a British march. Having arrived at 
the head of the line, General O'Hara, elegantly mounted, advanced to his 
Excellency the Commander in Chief, taking off his hat, and apologized for 
the non-appearance of Earl Cornwallis. "With his usual dignity and polite- 
ness his Excellency pointed to Major General Lincoln for directions, by 
whom the British army was conducted into a spacious field where it was in- 
tended they should ground their arms." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SATUKDAY, OCTOBER 20. 

Before Yorktown : Orderly Book. — " The General con- 
gratulates the army upon the glorious event of yesterday. 
. . . Divine service is to be performed to-morrow in the 
several brigades and divisions. The Commander-in-chief 
earnestly recommends, that the troops not on duty should 
universally attend, with that seriousness of deportment and 
gratitude of heart, which the recognition of such reiterated 
and astonishing interpositions of Providence demands of us." 

" The surrender of Yorktown produced, as may well be supposed, the 
greatest excitement throughout the continent. It was justly considered as 
decisive of the issue of the struggle. The successive steps in the transac- 
tion, beginning with the first movement of the combined armies from the 
vicinity of New York, and extending to the complete investment of the 
British camp at Yorktown, were taken with such rapidity, the combina- 
tions were so skilfully arranged, the result so speedily secured, that the 
imaginations of men were dazzled, and the hearts of the friends of the 
American cause were filled with rapturous admiration and gratitude. Dr. 
Franklin thus wrote to Washington from Paris, on receiving the intelli- 
gence : ' All the world agree, that no expedition was ever better planned or 
better executed. It has made a great addition to the military reputation 
you had already acquired, and heightens the glory that surrounds your 
name, and that must accompany it to our latest posterity.' " — Upham, ii. 60. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21. 

Visits Count de Grasse : ^'October 21st. — The prisoners 
began their march [to Winchester, Virginia, and Fort 
Frederick and Fredericktown, Maryland] & I set out for 
the Fleet to pay my respects & offer my thanks to the 
Admiral for his important services." — Washington's Journal. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 247 

The whole numher of prisoners, exclusive of seamen, amounted to seven 
thousand two hundred and forty-seven, of whom six thousand and thirty- 
nine were rank and file ; six commissioned and twenty-eight non-commis- 
sioned oflScers and privates had previously been captured in the redoubts, or 
in the sortie from the garrison. The British loss during the siege, in killed, 
wounded, and missing, amounted to three hundred and fifty-three. The 
combined army to which Cornwallis surrendered was estimated at sixteen 
thousand, of whom seven thousand were French, five thousand five hun- 
dred Continentals, and three thousand five hundred militia. The loss in 
killed and wounded was two hundred and seventy-four. The land forces 
surrendered to General Washington, and became prisoners to Congress ; 
but the seamen, ships, and naval equipments were assigned to the French 
admiral. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27. 

Before Yorktown : Receives and answers an address from 
the president and professors of William and Mary College, 
Williamsburg. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28. 

Before Yorktown : " October 28tli. — Received a Letter 
from the Count de Grasse, declining the convoy he had 
engaged to give the detachment for Wilmington & assign- 
ing his reasons for it." — Washington's Journal. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5. 

Leaves Yorktown : Arrives the same day at Eltham, 
thirty miles from Yorktown, and is present at the death of 
John Parke Custis, the only son of Mrs. Washington. 

John Parke Custis, while on duty at Yorktown as an aide to the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, was seized with an attack of camp fever, and was removed 
to Eltham, New Kent County, for better attention. He left four young 
children, the two youngest of whom, Eleanor Parke and George Washing- 
ton Parke, were adopted by Washington. Eltham was the residence of 
Colonel Basset, who married a sister of Mrs. Washington. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 

At Fredericksburg, Virginia : Visits his mother, and in o 
the evening attends a ball given by the citizens to the 
French and American officers. On the following day 



248 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

"Washington arrived at Mount Vernon, where he remained 
until the 20th. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15. 

At Mount Yernon; "K I should be deprived of the 
pleasure of a personal interview with you before your de- 
parture, permit me my dear Marquis to adopt this method 
of making you a tender of my ardent Vows for a propitious 
voyage, a gracious reception from your Prince, an honor- 
able reward for your services, a happy meeting with your 
lady and friends, and a safe return in the spring." — Wash- 
ington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

As soon as the plan of an operation against Wilmington, North Carolina, 
was abandoned, in consequence of the French admiral declining to afford an 
escort to the troops, Lafayette resolved to return to France. The season 
being too far advanced to admit of any further active service till the next 
year, he was desirous of taking this opportunity to visit his family. With 
the approbation of General Washington he proceeded to Philadelphia, and 
Congress, by resolution of November 23, granted him permission of absence 
for such a period as he should think proper. The marquis sailed from Bos- 
ton, December 23, on board the " Alliance," and did not return to America 
during the war. 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 

At Mount Vernon : " I shall remain but a few days here, 
and shall proceed to Philadelphia, when I shall attempt to 
stimulate Congress to the best improvement of our late suc- 
cess, by taking the most vigorous and effectual measures to 
be ready for an early and decisive campaign the next year. 
My greatest fear is, that Congress, viewing this stroke in 
too important a point of light, may think our work too 
nearly closed, and will fall into a state of languor and re- 
laxation." — Washington to General Greene. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. 

At Alexandria, Virginia: Receives and answers an ad 
dress from William Ramsay and others, inhabitants of the 
city. 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 249 

"WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21. 

At Annapolis, Maryland : " The general's arrival [at An- 
napolis] was announced by the discharge of cannon, and he 
was accompanied to his excellency the governor's [Thomas 
Sim Lee], by the honest acclamations of the whigs ; a few 
tories, to expiate their crimes, and shuffle off this oppro- 
brium of their characters, feebly joined in applauding the 
man, whose late successes had annihilated their hopes, and 
whose conduct is a satire on their principles. The presi- 
dent of the senate [George Plater], speaker of the house of 
delegates [Thomas Cockey Dey], members of the general 
assembly and council, and many respectable citizens hastened 
to ofi'er their tribute of affection, which was richly repaid 
by the engaging frankness and affectionate politeness of the 
reception. The evening was spent at the governor's elegant 
and hospitable board with festive joy, enlivened by good 
humour, wit and beauty." — Pennsylvania Packet^ December 
6, 1781. 

•' When the citizens received the pleasing intimation of his excellency's 
intentions to honour them with his presence, all business ceased, and every 
consideration gave way to their impatience to behold their benefactor, and 
the deliverer of his country. On his appearance in the streets, people of 
every rank and every age eagerly pressed forward to feed their eyes with 
gazing on the man, to whom, under providence, and the generous aid of our 
great and good ally, they owed their present security, and their hopes of 
future liberty and peace : the courteous affability with which he returned 
their salutes, lighted up ineffable joy in every countenance, and diffused the 
most animated gratitude through every breast. 

" You would have thought the very windows spoke, 
So many greedy looks of young and old 
Through casements darted their desiring eyes 
Upon his visage ; and that all the walls, 
With painted imagery, had said at once, 
God save thee, WASHINGTON." 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22. 

At Annapolis : " On the next day [IN'ovember 22] the 
general was so obliging as to partake of a public dinner 



256 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

directed by the legislature, as a mark of their respect, and 
to render the participation of his company as universal as 
possible. In the evening the city was beautifully illumi- 
nated, and an assembly prepared for the ladies, to afford 
them an opportunity of beholding their friend, and thank- 
ing their protector with their smiles. His excellency, to 
gratify the wishes of the fair, crowned the entertainment 
with his presence, and with graceful dignity and familiar 
ease so framed his looks, his gestures, and his words, that 
every heart o'erflowed with gratitude and love, and every 
tongue grew wanton in his praise. When he retired from 
the assembly, this was the universal language : 

" ' Unrival'd and unmatch'd shall be his fame, 
And his own laurels shade his envied name.' " 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23. 

Leaves Annapolis : " Annapolis, November 24. — On Fri- 
day last our illustrious and beloved commander in chief 
left the city, attended by innumerable prayers for his health, 
safety and happiness." — Pennsylvania Packet, December 6, 
1781. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24. 

At Baltimore : " On Friday evening last [November 23] 
his Excellency General Washington and his Lady arrived 
here [Baltimore] from Virginia, and the next morning set 
out for Philadelphia." — Maryland Journal, November 27, 
1781. 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26. 

At Philadelphia : " Last Monday [afternoon] arrived m 
this city [Philadelphia] His Excellency General Washing- 
ton, our victorious and illustrious commander in chief, with 
his Lady. All panegyrick is vain and language too feeble 
to express our ideas of his greatness. May the crown of 
glory he has placed on the brow of the genius of America, 
shine with untarnished radiance and lustre, and in the 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 251 

brightness of its rays be distinctly seen — "Washington, the 
Saviour of his Country !" — Pennsylvania Journal, Novem- 
ber 28, 1781. 

Washington remained in Philadelphia until March 22, 1782, during 
which time he made his head-quarters at the house of Benjamin Chew, No. 
110 South Third Street, between Walnut and Spruce Streets. The " Chew 
House" had previously been occupied by Don Juan de Marailles, the re- 
puted Spanish ambassador, who died (April 28, 1780) at the Morristown 
head-quarters, while on a visit to the Commander-in-Chief. Kichard Peters, 
who was present at an entertainment given by Marailles in 1779, designates 
it as "Mr. Chew's fine house on South Third Street," and says, on that 
occasion, " the spacious gardens were superbly decorated with variegated 
lamps, and the edifice itself was in a blaze of light." The " Chew House," 
which was immediately north of the " Powel House," referred to in the 
Itinerary, January 6, 1779, was taken down about 1830. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27. 

At Philadelphia : " Congress being informed of the arrival 
of gen. "Washington in this city : Ordered, That he have an 
audience in Congress to-morrow at one o'clock." — Journal 
of Congress, November 27, 1781. 

On the evening of November 27, Charles Willson Peale exhibited at his 
house, southwest corner of Third and Lombard Streets, a number of trans- 
parent scenes, designed and executed by himself, for the purpose of cele- 
brating the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief. " During the whole even- 
ing the people were flocking from all parts of the town to obtain a sight of 
the beautiful expressions of Mr. Peale's respect and gratitude to the con- 
quering Hero." The following is a description of some of the paintings: 
" At the lower window, a ship with the British colours below the French, 
and the word Cornwallis on the stern, emblematical, that by the assistance 
of the French fleet, Cornwallis was captured. At the middle window, 
above, the portraits of his Excellency General Washington and Count de 
Eochambeau, with rays of glory and interlaced civic crowns over their 
heads, framed with palm and laurel branches, and the words in transparent 
letters. Shine Valiant Chiefs ; the whole encircled witb_stars and flowers 
de luce." — Pennsylvania Packet, December 4, 1781. 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28. 

At Philadelphia : Attends Congress according to order, 
and, being introduced by two members, receives and answers 



252 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1781 

an address from the president, John Hanson. Receives and 
answers, the same day, an address from the Supreme Execu- 
tive Council of Pennsylvania. 

FKIDAY, NOVEMBEK 30. 

At Philadelphia : Is waited on by Frederick A. Muhlen- 
berg, Speaker, and several members of the House of As- 
sembly of Pennsylvania, who present him with an address, 
which he answers. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10. 

At Philadelphia : Receives and answers an address from 
the trustees and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11. 

At Philadelphia : " On Tuesday evening of the 11th inst. 
his excellency the minister of France, who embraces every 
opportunity to manifest his respect to the worthies of 
America, and politeness to its inhabitants, entertained his 
excellency general "Washington, and his lady, the lady of 
general Greene, and a very polite circle of the gentlemen 
and ladies, with an elegant Concert, in which an Oratorio, 
composed & set to music by a gentleman whose taste in the 
polite arts is well known, was introduced, and afforded the 
most sensible pleasure." — Freeman's Journal, December 19, 
1781. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

At Philadelphia : A day of thanksgiving and prayer rec- 
ommended by Congress. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19. 

At Philadelphia : Receives and answers an address from 
the magistrates of the city of Philadelphia. 

" December 19, 1781. — Spent the evening at Mr. Barges. My son Robert 
[having] been on a Hunt at Frankford says that His Excel'y Gen. "Wash- 
ington was there." — MS. Journal of Jacob Hiltzheimer^ of Philadelphia. 



1 



1781] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 253 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24. 

At Philadelphia : " Mrs "Washington, myself and family, 
will have the honor of dining with you in the way proposed, 
to-morrow, being Christmas day." — Washington to Robert 
Morris. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29. 

At Philadelphia : Receives and answers an address from 
the vice-president and officers of the American Philosophical 
Society. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30. 

At Philadelphia : " You have enhanced the value of the 
trophies, with which Congress have been pleased to honor 
me in their resolve of the 29th of October, by the polite 
and affectionate manner of presenting them." — Washington 
to General Lincoln. 

As Secretary of War it devolved on General Lincoln to present to the 
Commander-in-Chief two stands of colors taken at Yorktown, which had 
been assigned to him by Congress: " Resolved, That two stands of colours 
taken from the British army under the capitulation of York, be presented 
to his excellency general Washington, in the name of the United States in 
Congress assembled." — Journal of Congress, October 29, 1781. 



1782. 



TUESDAY, JANUAEY 1. 

At Philadelphia : Is entertained at a dinner, given in his 
honor, at the City Tavern, by " The Society of the Friendly 
Sons of St. Patrick." 

" This brilliant entertainment was graced by the presence of the bravest 
and most distinguished generals of the allied army of America and France, 
Generals "Washington, Lincoln, Howe, Moultrie, Knox, Hand, Mcintosh, 
and Baron Steuben — Colonels "Washington, Smith, Tilghman, and Count 
Dillon, a French officer of Irish descent, afterward much distinguished in 
the wars of the French revolution, and Count de la Touche. The French 
and Spanish ministers with their Secretaries, &c., were also present. Several 
of the First troop (members of the Society), Colonels Charles and "Walter 
Stewart — Colonels Blaine and Johnston, with Robert Morris, Samuel Mere- 
dith, and Henry Hill, honorary members." — A Brief Account of " The 
Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick," p. 49. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2. 

At Philadelphia : " On Wednesday evening the 2d in- 
stant, Alexander Quesnay, esq. exhibited a most elegant 
entertainment at the playhouse, where were present his 
excellency general Washington, the Minister of France, the 
president of the State, a number of the officers of the army 
and a brilliant assemblage of ladies and gentlemen of the 
city, who were invited." — Freeman's Journal, Januai-y 9, 
1782. 

The entertainment was held at the Southwark Theatre, corner of South 
and Apollo (now Charles) Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets. 
"After a prologue suitable to the occasion, Eugenib an elegant French 
comedy was first presented (written by the celebrated M. Beaumarchais) and 
in the opinion of several good judges was extremely well acted by the young 
gentlemen, students in that polite language. After the comedy was acted 
the Lying Valet a farce, to this succeeded several curious dances, followed 
by a brilliant illumination, consisting of thirteen pyramidal pillars, repre- 
senting the thirteen States — on the middle column was seen a Cupid, sup- 
254 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 255 

porting a laurel crown over the motto — Washington — the pride of his 
country and terror of Britain. On the summit was the word — Virginia — on 
the right — Connecticut, with the names Greene and La Fayette — on 
the left — the word Pennsylvania, with the names Wayne and Sttjben ; 
and so on according to the birth place and state proper to each general. 
The spectacle ended with an artificial illumination of the thirteen columns." 
Alexander Quesnay de Glouvay, who had the direction of this " most ele- 
gant entertainment," was a French teacher; he resided in Second Street 
between Chestnut and Walnut Streets. 

FKIDAY, JANUAKY 4. 

At Philadelphia: "I have remained at this place ever 
since you left it, and am happy in having discovered the 
best disposition imaginable in Congress to prepare vigor- 
ously for another campaign. They have resolved to keep 
up the same number of corps that constituted the army of last 
year, and have urged the States warmly to complete them." 
— Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette, 

" P.S. — January 5th. By advices just received from South Carolina, the 
enemy have evacuated all their posts in the State, and have concentrated 
their whole force in Charleston. Wilmington is also evacuated, and North 
Carolina is freed from its enemies. The disaffected part of the State are 
suing for mercy, and executing, it is said, some of their own leaders for 
having mis-guided them." 

TUESDAY, JANUAKY 22. 

At Philadelphia : " To bring this vrar to a speedy and 
happy conclusion must be the fervent wish of every lover 
of his country; and sure I am, that no means are so 
likely to eiFect these as vigorous preparations for another 
campaign. Whether, then, we consult our true interest, 
substantial economy, or sound policy, we shall find, that 
relaxation and languor are of all things to be avoided." — 
Washington to Meshech Weave, President of New Hampshire. 

" The capture of Cornwallis," said Count de Vergennes in a letter to M. de 
la Luzerne, " should excite the ardor of the Americans, and prove to them 
that the English are not invincible. Great preparations should be made for 
the next campaign, that advantage may be taken of this loss on the part 
of the British. We earnestly desire that our allies may profit by it. The 
more they multiply their exertions, the more certain will be their success 



256 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

in procuring the tranquillity of their country. But, if they return to their 
accustomed inactivity, they will give England time to repair her losses, as 
she seems determined to do, and to prolong the war, which it is for the 
interest of the United States to terminate as soon as possible." 

THIJKSDAY, JANUAEY 31. 

At Philadelphia: "The broken and perplexed state of 
the enemy's affairs, and the successes of the last campaign 
on our part, ought to be a powerful incitement to vigorous 
preparations for the next. Unless we strenuously exert 
ourselves to profit by these successes, we shall not only lose 
all the solid advantages that might be derived from them, 
but we shall become contemptible in our own eyes, in the 
eyes of our enemy, in the opinion of posterity, and even in 
the estimation of the whole world, which will consider us 
as a nation unworthy of prosperity, because we know not 
how to make a right use of it." — Washington to Meshech 
Weave. 

This, and the letter of January 22, were written as circular letters to the 
governors of the States. The first, relating to finance, contained arguments 
for raising money adequate to the public exigencies, particularly the pay- 
ment and clothing of the troops ; the second transmitted accurate returns 
of the number of men actually in service from each State, and urged the 
completion of the quotas according to the requisition of Congress. In both 
of them the Commander-in-Chief recommended prompt preparations for 
another campaign. A third letter was written May 4, in which, after 
expressing his disappointment at not receiving the number of men he had 
expected, and referring to the fact that not one penny in money for the 
service of the year had been paid by any State, he wrote, " While acting 
in my military capacity, I am sensible of the irnpropriety of stepping into 
the line of civil polity. My anxiety for the general good, and an earnest 
desire to bring this long protracted war to a happy issue, when I hope to 
retire to that peaceful state of domestic pleasures, from which the call of 
my country has brought me to take an active part, and to which I most 
ardently wish a speedy return, I trust will furnish my excuse with your 
Excellency and the legislature, while I request your pardon for this tres- 
pass." 

FKIDAT, FEBRUARY 8. 

At Philadelphia: Issues a proclamation, offering "free 
pardon to all deserters, as well those who may have joined 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 257 

the enemy as others, who shall deliver themselves up to 
any Continental Officer on or before the first day of June 
next." 

SATURDAY, FEBEUARY 9. 

At Philadelphia : " I am apprehensive that your Excel- 
lency will think me unmindful of a most agreeable piece of 
duty, which I have been directed to perform by Congress. 
It is the presentation of two of the field-pieces taken at 
York, with an inscription engraved on them expressive of 
the occasion. I find a difficulty in getting the engraving 
properly executed. When finished, I shall with peculiar 
pleasure put the cannon into your possession." — Washington 
to Count de Rochamheau. 

" Resolved, That two pieces of the field ordnance, taken from the British 
army, under the capitulation of York, be presented by the commander in 
chief of the American army, to count de Rochambeau ; and that there be 
engraved thereon a short memorandum, that Congress were induced to 
present them from considerations of the illustrious part which he bore in 
effectuating the surrender," — Journal of Co7igress, October 29, 1781. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18. 

At Philadelphia : " The King's speech at the opening of 
the British Parliament is firm, and manifests a determina- 
tion to continue the war, although there is no appearance 
of his having made any alliances. This I hope will prove 
to the States the necessity of complying with the requisitions 
upon them for men and supplies. Every argument that I 
could invent to induce them to it has been made use of by 
me in two sets of circular letters." — Washington to General 
Greene. 

MONDAY, MARCH 18. 

At Philadelphia : " By late advices from Europe, and 
from the declarations of the British ministers themselves, 
it appears, that they have done with all thoughts of an ex- 
cursive war, and that they mean to send but small, if any 

18 



258 



ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 



[1782 



further reinforcements to America. It may be also toler- 
ably plainly seen, that they do not mean to hold all their 
present posts, and that j^ew York will be occupied in pref- 
erence to any other. Hence, and from other indications, 
I am induced to believe that an evacuation of the Southern 
States will take place." — Washington to General Greene. 



THURSDAY, MARCH 21. 

At Philadelphia: j^^On Thursday, the 21st inst, a Com- 
mencement was held in the hall of the university of this 
city [Fourth Street below Arch}; before a very crowded and 
polite audience, consisting of the honourable members of 
the Supreme executive council of the state, the members of 
the assembly, his excellency general Washington, and his 
family, with the family of his excellency the French minister, 
the baron Stuben, and a large concourse of the most re- 
spectable citizens." — Freeman's Journal, March 27, 1782. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 22. 

Leaves Philadelphia : " Last Friday morning [March 22] 
his excellency general "Washington left this city, attended 
by the hon. gen. vice president of the state [James Potter], 
gen. Eeed, the late president, a number of gentlemen offi- 
cers of the army, and also captain Morris's troop of city 
light horse." — Freeman's Journal, March 27, 1782. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 23. 

At Burlington, New Jersey : Inspects the Second Regi- 
ment of the Continental Corps of Artillery (Colonel John 
Lamb), stationed at Burlington and its vicinity. 

On his way northward, Washington stopped at Morristown, New Jersey, 
several days, presumably to consult, if necessary, with General Knox and 
Gouverneur Morris, who had been appointed (March 11) to proceed to 
Elizabeth town, to meet other commissioners on the part of the British, to 
treat on the exchange of prisoners. The commissioners, however, did not 
meet until the 31st, the time having been deferred at the request of Sir 
Henry Clinton. The principal objects of the mission — a cartel for the gen- 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 259 

eral exchange of prisoners, a liquidation of all accounts on both sides for 
the maintenance of prisoners, and provision for their future support — were 
not accomplished. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 28. 

At Morristown, New Jersey : " The spirit of enterprise, 
BO conspicuous in your plan for surprising in their quarters 
and bringing off the Prince "William Henry and Admiral 
Digby, merits applause ; and you have my authority to make 
the attempt, in any manner, and at such a time, as your 
own judgment shall direct." — Washington to Colonel Matthias 
Ogden. 

Prince William Henry, afterwards William IV., who was serving as a 
midshipman in the fleet of Admiral Digby, was at this time in New York 
with the admiral. How far the attempt to capture them progressed is not 
known ; but it is supposed that the enemy became aware of the plan and 
took the necessary precautions to prevent it. 

Washington left Morristown on the morning of March 28, and reached 
Newburgh, New York, on the 31st, stopping at Pompton and Ringwood on 
the way. He was accompanied by Mrs. Washington and an escort of an 
officer, sergeant, and twelve dragoons. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 31. 

At Newburgh, New York : " March 31st. — His Excellency 
Gen. Washington arrived at Newburgh ; he had been absent 
from the' main army since the 19th of the preceding August, 
having spent the winter at Philadelphia, after the capture 
of Earl Cornwallis." — Heath's Memoirs. 

^^ April 2d. — Our General [Heath] went up to Newburgh [from West 
Point], to pay his respects to the Commander in Chief, where he dined, 
and returned at evening : Gen. Washington established his quarters at 
Newburgh." — Heath's Memoirs. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 4. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The Commander in 
Chief, having returned, and resumed the command of the 
main army, he presents his thanks to Major General Heath, 
and the troops which have been employed under his order, 
for having preserved the important posts committed to his 



260 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

charge, and covered the country so successfully against the 
depredations of the enemy, during the absence of the Gen- 
eral." 

Washington's head-quarters at Newburgh, on the Hudson, eight miles 
above West Point, were at the " Hashrouck House," still standing, on the 
brow of a hill, in the southern part of the city. The house, a substantial 
stone building, one story high with a high sloping roof, was erected in 1750 
by Jonathan Hasbrouck, and enlarged in 1770. The property remained in 
the possession of the Hasbrouck family until 1849, when the title became 
vested in the State of New York. In 1850 it was placed by act of assembly 
in the hands of the board of trustees of the village, to be preserved as nearly 
as possible as it was at the time of its occupation by Washington. The 
building was at once restored by a committee appointed by the board of 
trustees, and the place formally dedicated on the 4th of July of that year. 
In 1865, by the city charter, the care of the property passed to the city 
authorities, where it remained until 1874, when the legislature appointed, 
by act of May 11, a board of trustees to hold and maintain it. — Ruttenber's 
History of Orange County. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 6. 

At West Point : ^'■Ajpril 6th. — The Commander in Chief 
visited West-Point, and reviewed the first Massachusetts 
brigade. On his arrival at the Point, he was saluted by the 
discharge of 13 cannon." — Heath's Memoirs. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 9. 

At West Point : ^^ April 9th. — The Commander in Chief 
reviewed the 3d Massachusetts brigade and 10th regiment, 
and dined with our General." — Heath's Memoirs. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 27. 

At Newburgh : " Finding the commissioners appointed 
to liquidate the accounts of money due for the maintenance 
of prisoners, and make permanent provision for their future 
support, have separated without accomplishing any thing, I 
think it highly expedient, that measures should be adopted, 
at this moment, for taking the German prisoners of war 
into our service. As this measure has been considerably 
agitated, I shall not amplify upon the justice and propriety 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 261 

of it, whicli to me seems very obvious." — Washington to the 
Secretary at War. 

In November, 1776, when it was proposed to enlist deserters and pris- 
oners into the American army, Washington expressed his disapproval of 
the measure, as being neither consistent with the rules of war nor politic ; 
and again, in March 1778, in writing to the President of Congress, he 
objected to the preamble of a resolution of February 26, prohibiting the 
enlisting of deserters and prisoners, which implied that such enlistments 
had been made, saying that if any had been made, he at least was not 
aware of it. His change of opinion on this subject must have been brought 
about by the difficulty of securing recruits and the continued expense of 
maintaining the British prisoners. The suggestion does not seem to have 
been acted on by Congress. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 28. 

At Kewburgh : " Permit me sir, to express the high 
sense I have of the honor you have done me in communi- 
cating the favorable opinion entertained of my conduct by 
the Court and nation of France, and to acknowledge my 
obligation to those officers, who have inspired these Senti- 
ments." — Washington to M. de la Luzerne. 

" I cannot deny myself the pleasure of informing you of the sentiments 
with which the reports of the French officers, on their return to Versailles, 
inspired the court and nation towards your Excellency. Their testimony 
can add nothing to the universal opinion respecting the great services, 
which you have rendered to your country ; but, to the esteem and admira-* 
tion of the French, will henceforth be added a sentiment of affection and 
attachment, which is a just return for the attentions our officers have 
received from you, and for the progress they have made in their profession 
by serving under your orders." — Luzerne to Washington, April 18. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. 

At Newburgh : " Upon the most mature deliberation I 
can bestow, I am obliged to declare it as my candid opinion, 
that the measures of the enemy in all their views, so far as 
they respect America, are merely delusory, (they having no 
serious intention to admit our independence upon its true 
principles), and are calculated to produce a change of 
ministers to quiet the minds of their own people, and 
reconcile them to a continuance of the war ; while they are 



262 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON [1782 

meant to amuse this country witli a false idea of peace, to 
draw us oft" from our connexion with France, and to lull us 
into a state of security and inactivity, which having taken 
place, the ministry will be left to prosecute the war in other 
parts of the world with greater vigor and efiect." — Wash- 
ington to Mesheeh Weave. 

FKIDAY, MAY 10. 

• At Newburgh : " Just as I was closing these despatches, 
I received a letter from Sir Guy Carleton, covering sundry 
printed papers, a copy of which, with the papers, I have 
now the honor to enclose to your Excellency." — Washington 
to the President of Congress. 

"New York, 7 May, 1782. — Having been appointed by his Majesty to 
the command of the forces on the Atlantic Ocean, and joined with Admiral 
Digby in the commission of peace, I find it proper in this manner to apprize 
your Excellency of my arrival at New York. The occasion, Sir, seems to 
render this communication proper, but the circumstances of the present time 
render it also indispensable ; as I find it just to transmit herewith to your 
Excellency certain papers, from the perusal of which your Excellency will 
perceive what dispositions prevail in the government and people of Eng- 
land towards those of America, and what further efl"ects are likely to follow. 
If the like pacific dispositions should prevail in this country, both my 
inclination and duty will lead me to meet it with the most zealous con- 
currence. In all events, Sir, it is with me to declare, that, if war must 
prevail I shall endeavour to render its miseries as light to the people of 
this continent, as the circumstances of such a condition will possibly permit." 
— <Si?" Chiy Carleton to Washington. 

The papers enclosed in the letter were printed copies of the proceedings 
in the House of Commons on the 4th of March, respecting an address to 
the king in favor of peace, and also a copy of the bill reported in conse- 
quence thereof, enabling his Majesty to conclude a peace or truce with the 
revolted colonies in North America. As this bill, however, had not passed 
into a law when Sir Guy left England, it presented no basis for a negotia- 
tion, and was only cited by him to show the pacific disposition of the Brit- 
ish nation, with which he professed the most zealous concurrence. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22. 

At Newburgh : " With a mixture of great surprise and 
astonishment, I have read with attention the sentiments 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 263 

you have submitted to my perusal. Be assured, Sir, no 
occurrence in the course of the war has given me more 
painful sensations, than your information of there being 
such ideas existing in the army, as you have expressed, and 
I must view with abhorrence and reprehend with severity. 
... I am much at a loss to conceive what part of my con- 
duct could have given encouragement to an address, which 
to me seems big with the greatest mischiefs, that can be- 
fall my country. If I am not deceived in the knowledge 
of myself, you could not have found a person to whom your 
schemes are more disagreeable." — Washington to Colonel 
Lewis Nicola. 

In reply to a letter in which, after calling attention to the discontents 
of the officers and soldiers respecting the arrearages of pay, and the prob- 
ability of no adequate provisions being made by Congress, Colonel Nicola 
wrote that many were led to look for the cause in the form of government, 
and to distrust the stability of republican institutions. From the innumer- 
able embarrassments in which the country had been involved during the 
war, on account of its defective political organization, he inferred that 
America could never become prosperous under such a form of government, 
and that the English government was nearer perfection than any other : 
" Therefore I little doubt, that, when the benefits of a mixed government 
are pointed out, and duly considered, such will be readily adopted. In this 
case it will, I believe, be uncontroverted, that the same abilities, which 
have led us through difficulties, apparently insurmountable by human 
power, to victory and glory, those qualities, that have merited and obtained 
the universal esteem and veneration of an army, would be most likel\' to 
conduct and direct us in the smoother paths of peace. Some people have so 
connected the ideas of tyranny and monarchy, as to find it very difficult to 
separate them. It may therefore be requisite to give the head of such a 
constitution, as I propose, some title apparently more moderate ; but, if all 
other things were once adjusted, I believe strong arguments might be pro- 
duced for admitting the title of King, which I conceive would be attended 
with some material advantages." 

Lewis Nicola at the time of writing this letter was colonel of the corps 
of invalids, having been appointed by Congress, June 20, 1777. Previous 
to this he had acted as barrack-master at Philadelphia from April 20, 1776, 
to December 2, 1776, when he was appointed, by the Council of Safety of 
the State, town-major of Philadelphia. This office he held in connection 
with that of colonel of the invalid regiment until February 6, 1782, when 
he was dismissed from the service of the State with the thanks of the Su- 



264 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

preme Executive Council, there being no further duty for such an officer as 
town-major. Colonel Nicola died at Alexandria, Virginia, in 1809. 

TUESDAY, MAY 28. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief is happy in the opportunity of announcing to the 
army the birth of a Dauphin of France ; and, desirous of 
giving a general occasion for testifying the satisfaction which, 
he is convinced, v^ill pervade the breast of every American 
officer and soldier on the communication of an event so 
highly interesting to a monarch and nation who have given 
such distinguishing proofs of their attachment, is pleased to 
order a/ew de joie on Thursday next." 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book.—^" The Commander-in- 
Chief desires his compliments may be presented to the 
officers' ladies with and in the neighborhood of the army, 
together with a request that they will favor him with their 
company at dinner on Thursday next, at West Point. The 
General will be happy to see any other ladies of his own or 
friends' acquaintances on the occasion, without the formality 
of a particular invitation." '-, 

THUKSDAY, MAY 30. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The celebration of the 
birth of the Dauphin of France, which was to have taken 
place this day, is to be postponed until to-morrow, the 31st 
inst." 

FRIDAY, MAY 31. 

At West Point : " May 31st.— The birth of the Dauphin 
was celebrated [at West Point] by the American army. An 
elegant dinner was provided, by order of the Commander- 
in-Chief; of which the officers of the army, and a great 
number of ladies and gentlemen, invited from the adjacent 
country, partook. Thirteen toasts were drank, announced 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 265 

by the discharge of cannon. At evening there was a grand 
feu-de-joy, opened by the discharge of 13 cannon, three 
times repeated. The feu-de-joy, being fired in the dusk, 
had a pleasing appearance to the eye, as well as the ear ; 
and was so ordered for that purpose." — Heath's 3femoirs. 

" At half past eleven o'clock, the celebration was concluded by the ex- 
hibition of fireworks very ingeniously constructed of various figures. His 
Excellency General "Washington was unusually cheerful. He attended the 
ball in the evening, and with a dignified and graceful air, having Mrs. Knox 
for his partner, carried down a dance of twenty couple in the arbor on the 
green grass." — Thacher's Military Journal. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 15. 

At Newburgh : " The subjugation of America, so far at 
least as to hold it in a dependent state, is of too much im- 
portance for Great Britain to yield the palm to us whilst her 
resources exist, or our inactivity, want of system, and de- 
pendence upon other powers prevail. I can truly say, that 
the first wish of my soul is to return speedily into the bosom 
of that country, which gave me birth, and, in the sweet 
enjoyment of domestic happiness and the company of a few 
friends, to end my days in quiet, when I shall be called 
from this stage." — Washington to Archibald Cary. 

MONDAY, JUNE 24. 

At Newburgh : " I am at this moment on the point of 
setting out for Albany, on a visit to my posts in the vicinity 
of that place. My stay will not exceed eight or ten days, 
and will be shortened if any despatches should be received 
from you in the mean time." — Washington to Count de 
Rochamheau. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26. 

At Albany, New York : " Albany, July 1. — Last "Wednes- 
day evening his Excellency the illustrious General "Wash- 
ington and his Excellency the Governor of this State 
[George Clinton], with their suites, arrived in this city." — 
Pennsylvania Gazette, July 17, 1782. 



266 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

THURSDAY, JUNE 27. 

At Albany : Receives and answers an address from the 
mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of Albany, who also 
present him with the freedom of the city in a gold box. 
" "When the Corporation went to present their Address, they 
proceeded in procession, from the city hall. At 6 o'clock, 
P.M. the bells of all the churches began to ring, and con- 
tinued their joyful peals until sun-set, when thirteen cannon 
were discharged from the fort and the city illuminated. 
Who is more worthy our love and esteem than the Guardian and 
Saviour of his country!" — Pennsylvania Gazette, July 17, 
1782. 

FRIDAY, JUNE 28. 

At Albany : Receives and answers an address from the 
minister, elders, and deacons of the Reformed Protestant 
Dutch Church of Albany. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 29. 

At Saratoga, New York: '^Albany, July 2. — On Satur- 
day he [Washington] set out to visit the troops, with the 
Governor, General Schuyler and many other gentlemen of 
distinction. Brigadier General Gansevort with forty volun- 
teers escorted him to Saratoga, where, after surveying the 
theatre of the glorious campaign of 1777, he reviewed the 
first regiment of New Hampshire, and examined the Block- 
houses at that place. From thence he went, the next day 
to Schenectady." — Pennsylvania Gazette, July 17, 1782. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 30. 

At Schenectady, New York : " Five miles from Schenec- 
tady he [Washington] was received by sixty of the principal 
inhabitants on horseback who attended him into the town 
amidst the ringing of bells, the firing of cannon, and every 
other public demonstration of /e^fc%. About one hundred 
warriors of the Oneidas and Tuscaroras compleatly armed 
and painted for war, met him without the gates. The 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 267 

magistrates, military officers and respectable citizens, who 
had caused a public dinner to be provided, seemed anxious 
to give the most incontestable proofs of their gratitude and 
sensibility for the honor of the visit. The general viewed 
the town and fortifications, and returned to Albany the 
same evening." — Pennsylvania Gazette, July 17, 1782. 

MONDAY, JULY 1. 

Leaves Albany : " Albany, July 2. — Yesterday morning 
he [Washington] went on board his barge on his way to the 
army, amidst the benedictions of the multitude, leaving the 
citizens of this country strongly impressed with the ideas of 
a great character, in which are combined every public and 
private virtue. " — Pennsylvania Gazette, July 17, 1782. 

^^ June, 1782. To my Expenditures in a Tour to Albany, Saratoga, and 
Schenectady on a visit to our North." Posts, £32.8.0." — Washington's 
Accounts. 

TUESDAY, JULY 2. 

At Newburgh : " July 2d. — The Commander-in-Chief 
returned from Albany." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" On the 4th, the anniversary of the declaration of our Independence was 
celebrated in camp. The whole army was formed on the banks of the Hud- 
son on each side of the river. The signal of thirteen cannon being given 
at "West Point, the troops displayed and formed in a line, when a general 
feu de joie took place throughout the whole army." — Thacher's Military 
Journal. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10. 

At IS'ewburgh : " Sir Guy Carleton is using every art to 
soothe and lull our people into a state of security. Admiral 
Digby is capturing all our vessels, and suffocating as fast as 
possible in prison-ships all our seamen, who will not enlist 
into the service of his Britannic Majesty ; and Haldimand 
[Governor-General of Quebec] with his savage allies, is 
scalping and burning on the frontiers. Such is the line of 
conduct pursued by the different commanders, and such 
their politics." — Washington to Colonel John Laurens. 



268 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

THURSDAY, JULY 11. 

At Newburgh : " I have this moment received a letter 
from Count de Rochambeau (by one of his aids, in 5 days 
from Williamsburg) informing me that he is on his way to 
Philadelphia ; that he will be there the 13th or 14th, and 
wishes for an interview with me : for this purpose I shall 
set out in the morning, very early." — Washington to General 
Heath. 

SUNDAY, JULY 14. 

At Philadelphia : " On Sunday last [July 14] his Excel- 
lency Gen. "Washington with his suite arrived in this city 
[Philadelphia] from the northward, and on Saturday gen. 
count Rochambeau from Virginia." — Freeman's Jowrnal^ 
July 17, 1782. 

MONDAY, JULY 15. 

At Philadelphia: "Last Monday His Excellency the 
minister of France celebrated the birth of Monsigneur the 
Dauphin. In the evening there was a concert of musick in 
a room erected for that purpose. The concert finished at 
nine o'clock, when the fireworks began, and at the same 
time began a very brilliant ball; this was followed by a 
supper. The presence of His Excellency General Washing- 
ton and Count Rochambeau rendered the entertainment as 
compleat as could possibly be wished." — Pennsylvania Packet, 
July 18, 1782. 

' '■^JuJy 15, 1782. Great doings this evening at y* French Ambassadors 
(who lives at John Dickinson's House up Chestnut St.) — on account of y* 
Birth of y" Dauphin of France — feasting, fireworks, &c. for which they 
have been preparing for some weeks." — Journal of Elizabeth Drinker. 

At the conference held this day between the two commanders, it was 
agreed that so long as the French troops had been put under marching 
orders for the north, they should remain a few days at Baltimore, which 
place it was expected they would reach before the end of the month, till 
further instructions or intelligence should be received ; and that, unless 
special reasons might appear to the contrary, the army should continue its 
march northwardly and join the American forces on the Hudson. 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 269 

MONDAY, JULY 22. 

At Philadelphia : " Your favor of the 17th conveying to 
me your Pastoral on the subject of Lord Cornwallis's cap- 
ture has given me great satisfaction. ... I have only to 
lament that the Hero of your Pastoral is not more deserv- 
ing of your Pen ; but the circumstance shall be placed 
among the happiest events of my life." — Washington to Mrs. 
Stockton. 

Mrs. Kichard Stockton (Anice Boudinot) was a woman of highly culti- 
vated mind and refined literary taste. Besides the •' Pastoral on the sub- 
ject of Lord Cornwallis's capture," she also, on the announcement of peace, 
addressed an ode to Washington on that subject. His reply in acknowledg- 
ment, dated Kocky Hill, September 2, 1783, is thought to be the most 
sprightly effusion of his pen. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24. 

Leaves Philadelphia : " On Wednesday last his excellency 
general Washington left this city [Philadelphia], in order to 
join the main army on the banks of the Hudson." — Free- 
man's Journal, July 31, 1782. 

From an entry in his expense account, it would seem that Washington 
made his stopping-place for the night of the 24th at Pottsgrove (now Potts- 
town), thirty-six miles northwest of Philadelphia. — ^'July, 1782. Exp» to 
Potsgrove . . £1.13.4— Bethlehem . . £3.17.6." 

THURSDAY, JULY 25. 

At Bethlehem, Pennsylvania : " Jk?y 25, 1782. Quite un- 
expectedly and very quietly his Excellency Gen. Washing- 
ton arrived here [Bethlehem] accompanied by two aids de 
camp [Colonel Trumbull and Major Walker], but without 
an escort. \^ro. Ettwein and other Brethren went at once 
to pay their respects to him^,.f^t--th^;^^uii3n^-5^ After 
partaking of a meal he inspected the choir houses and other 
objects of interest in the place, and then attended the even- 
ing service, at which Bro. Ettwein delivered a discourse, in 
English] on the text : ' In all things approving ourselves as , 
the ministers of God,' &c. (H. Cor. 6 : 41 and the choir ren- \ 
dered some fine music both at the beginning and at the 



^ \ 



270 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

close. The General manifested much friendliness, and the 
pleasure and satisfaction which the visit afforded him were 
clearly to be inferred from his utterances?^ JIfomyjaw Ar- 
chiveSj MS. 

During the Kevolution the Moravian settlement of Bethlehem witnessed 
many of the horrors and discomforts of war, a sore trial for the peace-loving 
brethren. The tramp of armed men through its quiet borders began in July, 
1775; in December, 1776, most of the houses of the community were taken 
for hospitals, prisoners were quartered in others, and many days of " unrest 
at Bethlehem" are noted in the diaries preserved in the Archives. But with 
the horrors came also some of the pomp and circumstance of war. Being in 
the main route of travel to and from the Eastern States, Bethlehem saw 
many distinguished soldiers and statesmen. Here, at times, were Greene, 
Knox, Gates, Stirling, Sullivan, Schuyler, Steuben, De Kalb, Pulaski, De 
Chastellux, and Washington ; Samuel and John Adams, Hancock, Laurens, 
Livingston, Boudinot, Reed, Rittenhouse, and Gerard. And here, in the 
autumnal days of 1777, Lafayette, under the careful nursing of the fair 
Moravian sister (Liesel Beckel), rapidly recovered from the wound received 
at Brandywine. 

FRIDAY, JULY 26. 

Leaves Bethlehem : "Jidi/ 26. — At a very early hour he 
["Washington] proceeded on his journey by way of Easton. 
Bro. Ettwein, who had just been contemplating a visit to 
Hope, accompanied him to the first named place [Easton], 
and then rode on ahead, in order to make some preparation 
for his entertainment at Hope, where he dined and also 
looked about the place with pleasure." — Moravian Archives, 
MS. 

The village of Hope, Sussex (now Warren) County, New Jersey, twenty 
miles northeast of Easton, Pennsylvania, where Washington and his aides 
dined on July 26, was founded by the Moravians in 1769. The undertaking 
however, not proving a financial success, the brethren returned to their 
settlements at Bethlehem and Nazareth about 1808. 

The travellers, in all probability, quartered for the night at Sussex Court- 
House (now Newton), eighteen miles beyond Hope. 

SATURDAY, JULY 27. 

At ISTewburgh : " Juli/ 27th. Gen. Washington returned 
to Newburgh from Philadelphia." — Heath's 3Iemoirs. 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON 271 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 6. 

At Il^evvburgh : " You will, I imagine, have heard, before 
this reaches you, of the arrival of Mr. Vaudreuil with a 
fleet of thirteen ships of the line on this coast. I can give 
no particulars, as I have no official account of his arrival." 
— Washington to General Greene. 

After the defeat of the French squadron in the West India waters (April 
12) by Admiral Kodney, in which De Grasse lost seven vessels and was 
himself made a prisoner, the command devolved upon the Marquis de 
Vaudreuil, who received orders to go to Boston. The fleet, consisting of 
thirteen ships of the line (of which four were eighty guns and the others 
seventy-four), three frigates, and a cutter, arrived on the 10th of August, 
and remained until December 24, when, the French troops having embarked, 
the marquis set sail for Porto Cabello. 

SATUEDAY, AUGUST 10. 

At I^ewburgh : " August 10th. — The prospect of an ap- 
proaching peace brightens; Gen. Sir Guy Carleton and 
Admiral Digby informed Gen. Washington, that Mr. Gren- 
ville had gone over to France on the negociation for peace, 
and that the independence of America was acknowledged 
previous to, or as an opening of the negociation. The 
refugees at New York were greatly alarmed at the prospect 
of peace." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" We are acquainted. Sir, by authority, that the negotiations for a general 
peace have already commenced at Paris, and that Mr. Grenville is invested 
with fall powers to treat with all parties at war, and is now at Paris in the 
execution of his commission. And we are likewise, Sir, further made 
acquainted, that his Majesty, in order to remove all obstacles to that peace, 
which he so ardently wishes to restore, has commanded his ministers to 
direct Mr. Grenville, that the independency of the thirteen Provinces 
should be proposed by him in the first instance, instead of making it a con- 
dition of a general treaty ; however, not without the highest confidence, 
that the Loyalists shall be restored to their possessions, or a full compensa- 
tion made to them for whatever confiscations may have taken place." — Sir 
Chiy Carleton and Admiral Digby to Washington, August 2, 1782. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11. 

At Newburgh : " Having been informed that Major-Gen- 



272 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

eral Gates is in Philadelphia, and being now about to make 
my ultimate arrangements for the campaign, I take the 
liberty to request, that you will be pleased to inform me by 
the earliest conveyance whether he wishes to be employed 
in this army or not." — Washington to the Secretary at War. 

Since the unfortunate battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), General Gates 
had been in retirement at his seat in Berkeley County, Virginia. The court 
of inquiry, ordered by Congress to examine into that matter, had never been 
convened. The subject was at length brought forward anew, and on August 
14, 1782, it was resolved, " That the resolution of the 5th day of October, 
1780, directing a court of enquiry on the conduct of major-general Gates, be 
repealed ; and that he take command in the main army as the commander- 
in-chief shall direct." General Gates rejoined the army at Verplanck's 
Point on ihe 5th of October, and took command of the right wing as senior 
officer. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Booh — " The General has the 
pleasure to inform the army of the total recovery of the 
State of Georgia from the hands of the enemy. On the 
11th of July the British evacuated Savannah, leaving the 
town and works uninjured. Of the citizens who have re- 
turned to their allegiance, nearly two hundred enlisted into 
the continental Battalion of Georgia, and it was expected 
the corps would soon be completed without any expense. 
Brigadier-general "Wayne, who commanded in that State, 
appears to have merited great applause by his conduct 
there." 

FRIDAY, AUGUST ao. 

At l^ewburgh : Orderly Booh — " Precisely at 5 o'clock 
to-morrow morning the General is to beat, on which the 
tents and baggage of the second Connecticut and third 
Massachusetts brigades are to be put in the boats. At 9 
o'clock the Assembly will beat, when these brigades are 
immediately to march and embark by the right, proceeding 
in one column to Verplanck's Point in the following order : 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 273 

Ist Conn., 2d Conn., 1st Mass. and 2d Mass. Brigades. . . . 
If the boats are insufficient to transport the troops, with 
their baggage, without crowding or overloading, the sur- 
plusage will march by land under proper officers. . . . The 
artillery annexed to brigades will proceed by land and join 
their respective corps at Verplanck's Point." 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31. 

At Verplanck's Point : Orderly/ Book. — '[^The Commander- 
in-Chief cannot help expressing his thanks to the officers^ - 
commanding divisions, brigades and corps, and to the Ad- 
jutant and Quartermaster-generals |Sr their punctual atten- ^^ 
tion to the order of yesterday, by which the first consider- 
able movement that has been attempted by water was made 
with the utmost regularity and good orderlj' 

" August 31st.-fThe army marched from their diflferent quarters this 
morning and encamped at Verplanck's point in the evening. Part of the 
troops came down the river in boats, which being in motion and in regular 
order on the water, made a most beautiful appearancej[' — Thacher's Military 
Journal. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. 

At Verplanck's Point : " The whole army, the garrison 
at "West Point excepted, which is left under the command 
of Major-General Knox, moved down to this ground yester- 
day." — Washington to the Secretary at War. 

This concentration of the army from its different points was made in con- 
sequence of an agreement with Count de Rochambeau to form a junction 
of the French and American forces on the Hudson, and also to be nearer 
the enemy in case any hostile attempts should be made from New York ; 
although, from the inactivity and pacific declarations of Sir Guy Carleton, 
such attempts were not anticipated. The first division of the French army, 
which had left Williamsburg, Virginia, on the 23d of June, and Baltimore 
on the 27th of August, arrived at King's Ferry on the 16th of September. 
The remainder followed, the last arriving on the 18th, when the whole 
crossed the river, and formed a junction with the American army on the 
19th. Rochambeau and his suite, preceding the troops to confer with Wash- 
ington, crossed the river on the 14th. The French encamped on the left of 
the Americans, near Cram pond, about ten miles from Verplanck's Point. 

19 



Z' 



274 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBEK 8. 

At Verplanck's Point : " I have the honor to reply to 
your Excellency's letter of the 23d of August, and to in- 
form you, that Major-Generals Heath and Knox are nomi- 
nated by me to meet Lieutenant-General Campbell and Mr. 
Elliott, as commissioners for the purpose of settling a gen- 
eral cartel for an exchange of prisoners. I propose, Sir, 
that the meeting be held at Tappan, as an intermediate and 
convenient place, and that it commence on the 18th day of 
this month, at which time my commissioners will attend, 
and will be accompanied by the commissary of prisoners." 
— Washington to Sir Guy Carleton. 

'^September 26th. — The Commissioners interchanged copies of their re- 
spective powers ; these were to be considered until the next day, when 
answers were to be given in writing, whether the powers were satisfactory 
on both sides. On examining the powers given to the British Commis- 
sioners, it appeared that their doings would not be conclusive until con- 
firmed, and were very short of those held by the American Commissioners, 
whose agreement and signature were to be final. September 27th. — The 
American Commissioners stated to the British Commissioners, that the 
powers with which thoy were vested were inadequate to efiect the expecta^ 
tions of the government of the United Slates, and that therefore the nego- 
ciation must be broken off. Of the great difference of the powers the 
British Commissioners were fully convinced. The American Commis- 
sioners thought it to be their duty, when they gave their note of objections 
to the British delegated powers, to hand with it a very pointed protest, in 
behalf of the United States, against that conduct, on the part of the 
British, which had so long delayed the settlement of the accounts for the 
support of the prisoners of war, which were in the power of the U oiled 
States." — Heath's Memoirs. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. 

At Verplanck's Point : " That the King will push the 
war, as long as the nation will find men or money, admits 
not of a doubt in my mind. The whole tenor of his con- 
duct, as well as his last proroguing speech, on the 11th of 
July, plainly indicates it, and shows in a clear point of view 
the impolicy of relaxation on our part. If we are wise, let 
us prepare for the worst. There is nothing, which will so 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 275 

soon produce a speedy and honorable peace, as a state of 
preparation for war ; and we must either do this, or lay our 
account to patch up an inglorious peace, after all the toil, 
blood, and treasure we have spent." — Washington to James 
McHenry. 

SATUEDAT, SEPTEMBER 14. 

At Verplanck's Point : " September 14th. — The whole 
army was paraded under arms this morning in order to 
honor his Excellency Count Eochambeau on his arrival 
from the southward. The troops were all formed in two 
lines extending from the ferry, where the count crossed, to 
head quarters. A troop of horse met and received him at 
King's ferry, and conducted him through the line to Gen- 
eral Washington's quarters, where sitting on his horse by 
the side of his Excellency, the whole army marched before 
him and paid the usual salute and honors. Our troops were 
now in complete uniform and exhibited every mark of sol- 
dierly discipline. Count Eochambeau was most highly 
gratified to perceive the very great improvement which our 
army had made in appearance since he last reviewed them, 
and expressed his astonishment at their rapid progress in 
military skill and discipline. He said to General Washing- 
ton ' you must have formed an alliance with the king of Prus- 
sia. These troops are Prussians.' Several of the principal 
ofiicers of the French army who have seen troops of dif- 
ferent European nations, have bestowed the highest enco- 
miums and applause on our army, and declared that they 
had seen none superior to the Americans." — Thacher's Mili- 
tary Journal. 

" We joined Washington's army at Kingsferry on the Hudson. The 
general, as a mark of respect to France, and of gratitude for the services 
she has rendered America, made us march between a double line of his 
troops, equipped, armed and clothed for the first time in the Revolution, 
partly from material and arms brought from France, and partly from the 
British storehouses taken from Cornwallis, which the French generously 
gave up to the American army. General Washington made his drums 



276 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

beat the French march during the whole time of this review, and the two 
armies met again with evident marks of reciprocal satisfaction." — Memoires 
de Rochambeau, i. 309. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. 

At Verplanck's Point : " I have the pleasure to acknowl- 
edge your favor, informing me of your proposal to present 
me with fifty copies of your last publication for the amuse- 
ment of the army. For this intention you have my sincere 
thanks, not only on my own account, but for the pleasure, 
which I doubt not the gentlemen of the army will receive 
from the perusal of your pamphlets. Your observations on 
the period of seven years, as it applies to British minds, are 
ingenious, and I wish it may not fail of its effects in the 
present instance." — Washington to Thomas Paine. 

" I have the honor of presenting you with fifty copies of my Letter to the 
Abbe Raynal [dated Philadelphia, August 21, 1782],* for the use of the 
army, and to repeat to you my acknowledgments for your friendship. I 
fully believe we have seen our worst days over. The spirit of the war, on 
the part of the enemy, is certainly on the decline, full as much as we think 
for. I draw this opinion not only from the present promising appearances 
of things, and the difSculties we know the British Cabinet is in ; but I add 
to it the peculiar effect which certain periods of time have, more or less, 
upon all men. The British have accustomed themselves to think of seven 
years in a manner different to other portions of time. They acquire this 
partly by habit, by reason, by religion, and by superstition. They serve 
seven years apprenticeship — they elect their parliament for seven years — 
they punish by seven years transportation, or the duplicate or triplicate of 
that term — they let their leases in the same manner, and they read that 
Jacob served seven years for one wife, and after that seven years for another ; 
and this particular period of time, by a variety of concurrences, has obtained 
an influence in their mind. They have now had seven years of war, and 
are no further on the Continent than when they began. The superstitious 
and populous part will therefore conclude that it is not to be, and the rational 
part of them will think they have tried an unsuccessful and expensive 
project long enough, and by these two joining issue in the same eventual 
opinion, the obstinate part among them will be beaten out ; unless, consist- 
ent with their former sagacity, they should get over the matter by an act of 

* Written to correct the errors in the Abba's account of the American 
Revolution, published in 1781. 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 277 

parliament ' to bind TIMB in all cases whatsoever,' or declare him a rebel,"— 
Thomas Paine to Washington, September 7, 1782. 

PKIDAY, SEPTEMBEE 20. 

At Yerplanck's Point: " September 20th. — Gen. "Washing- 
ton reviewed the French army; the troops made a fine 
appearance." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" I found the American army camped in a place called Verplanck's 
Point. It consisted of about six thousand men, who for the first time since 
the beginning of the war were decently uniformed, well-armed, properly 
equipped, and camped in tents of a regular model. I passed through all 
the camp with pleasure, astonishment and admiration. All the soldiers 
seemed to me well looking, robust and well-chosen. The sentinels were 
well equipped, very attentive, sufficiently well disciplined in the use of their 
arms, and so strong was the contrast with the incorrect notions I had formed 
concerning these troops, that I was obliged frequently to say to myself, that 
I beheld in this army the same which formerly had no other uniform than 
a cap, on which was written Liberty. I noticed on a little hill which looked 
over the camp an assemblage of tents, which I recognized easily as the 
quarters of General Washington." — Narrative of the Prince de Broglie, 
"Magazine of American History," i. 307. 

SATUKDAY, SEPTEMBEE 21. 

At Verplanck's Point : " September 2l8t. — The American 
army manoeuvred before the Commander in Chief, Gen. 
Rochambeau, and many other officers. The troops made 
a handsome appearance, and manoeuvred well." — Heath's 
Memoirs. 

" This day [September 21] the Americans were under arms. It was a 
military festival in honour of their allies. Their camp was covered with 
garlands and pyramids, as so many trophies gratefully raised by the hands 
of liberty. The army was drawn up at the head of their camp. Twenty- 
four battalions of the states of New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ehode Island, 
Connecticut, and New York formed a line of two miles extent. The most 
exact uniformity, the neat dress of the men, the glittering of their arms, 
their martial look, and a kind of military luxury gave a most magnificent 
appearance to this assemblage of citizens armed in defence of their country. 
... A discharge of cannon was the signal for manoeuvering. That exact- 
ness, order and silence which distinguish veteran armies was here displayed : 
they changed their front, formed and displayed columns, with admirable 
regularity. The day was terminated with an entertainment of more than 



278 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

ninety covers, served with true military magnificence in the pretoriu m of 
the consul (for I rather express myself thus than by saying in the tent of 
the general). In fact, everything in this army bears a particular character; 
and things uncommon ought not to be described by common expressions. 
A band of American music, which played during the dinner, added to the 
gaiety of the company." — Letter from a French officer to a friend, " Penn- 
sylvania Packet," October 24, 1782. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBEK 23. 

At Verplanck's Point : " The situation of politics, I mean 
European, is upon so precarious a footing, that I really know 
not what account to give of them. Negotiations were still 
going on at Paris in the middle of July; but the prospects 
of a peace were checked by the death of the Marquis of 
Rockingham. Dr. Franklin's laconic description of the 
temper of the British nation seems most apt. ' They are,' 
says he, ' unable to carry on the war, and too proud to make 
peace.' " — Washington to General Greene. 

" One of my most earnest wishes was to see Washington, the hero of 
America. He was then encamped at a short distance from us, and the 
Count de Kochambeau was kind enough to introduce me to him. Too often 
reality disappoints the expectations our imagination had raised, and admi- 
ration diminishes by a too near view of the object upon which it had been 
bestowed ; but, on seeing General Washington, I found a perfect similarity 
between the impression produced upon me by his aspect, and the idea I had 
formed of him. His exterior disclosed, as it were, the history of his life: 
simplicity, grandeur, dignity, calmness, goodness, firmness, the attributes 
of his character, were also stamped upon his features, and in all his person. 
His stature was noble and elevated ; the expression of his features mild and 
benevolent ; his smile graceful and pleasing ; his manners simple, without 
familiarity. . . . Washington, when I saw him, was forty-nine years of age. 
He endeavored modestly to avoid the marks of admiration and respect which 
were so anxiously offered to him, and yet no man ever knew better how to 
receive and to acknowledge them. He listened, with an obliging attention, 
to all those who addressed him, and the expression of his countenance had 
conveyed his answer before he spoke." — Memoirs and Recollections of Count 
de Segur, p. 281. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBEK 29. 

At Verplanck's Point : " September 28th. — The day before, 
(the 27th) Gen. Washington, covered by the dragoons and 



I 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 279 

light infantry, reconnoitred the grounds on the east side of 
the river, below the "White Plains ; and on the 29th, about 
noon, returned to camp." — Heath's Memoirs. 

** Sep. 1782. — To the Expences of a Reconnoitre as low as Phillipsburg 
& thence across from Dobbs's ferry to y^ Sound with a large Party of Horse 
. . £32.8.0." — Washington's Accounts. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2. 

At Yerplanck's Point : " The evils, of which they [the 
army] complain, and which they suppose almost remediless, 
are the total want of money or the means of existing from 
one day to another, the heavy debts they have already in- 
curred, the loss of credit, the distress of their families at 
home, and prospect of poverty and misery before them. 
. . . You may rely upon it, the patience and long-suffering 
of this army are almost exhausted, and that there never was 
so great, a spirit of discontent as at this instant. While in 
the field, I think it may be kept from breaking out into acts 
of outrage ; but when we retire into winter-quarters, unless 
the storm is previously dissipated, I cannot be at ease re- 
specting the consequences. It is high time for a peace." — 
Washington to the Secretary at War. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5. 

At Verplanck's Point; ^^ October 5th. — Maj. Gen. Gates 
arrived at camp." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" I saw him [General Gates] at the house of General "Washington, with 
whom he had had a misunderstanding. I was present at their first inter- 
view after the disagreement. This interview excited the curiosity of both 
armies. It passed with a most perfect propriety on the part of both gen- 
tlemen. Mr. Washington treated Mr. Gates with a politeness which had 
a frank and easy air, while the other responded with that shade of respect 
which was proper towards his general, but at the same time with a self- 
possession, a nobility of manner and an air of moderation which convinced 
me that Mr. Gates was worthy of the successes he had gained at Saratoga, 
and that his defeats had only rendered him more worthy of respect, because 
of the courage with which he bore them. Such also was the opinion, as far 
as I could gather, that other gentlemen, both capable and disinterested, 
entertained concerning Mr. Gates." — Narrative of the Prince de Broglie 



280 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

THUKSDAY, OCTOBER 10. 

At Dobbs' Ferry : "Oct. 10.— To the Expences of a Visit 
to the Post at Dobbs's ferry, etc. . . £7. 10. 0."— Washing- 
ton's Accounts. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18. 

At Verplanck's Point: "The military operations of 
the campaign are drawing to a close without any very 
important events on this side of the water, unless the 
evacuation of Charleston, which is generally expected, but 
not yet known to me, should take place, and form a 
paragraph in the page of this year's history." — Washington 
to Benjamin Franklin. 

Charleston was not evacuated by the British until December 14. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19. 

At Verplanck's Point : " In the present quiet state of the 
frontiers, and with assurances from Sir Guy Carleton, that 
the incursions of the savages are stopped by authority, I 
have it in contemplation to withdraw the Continental troops 
from the northward." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

" October 19th. — Eight battalions have been selected from the army to 
perform some grand manoeuvres and a review. The evolutions and firings 
were performed this day with that regularity and precision which does 
them honor, and which received the full approbation of the numerous spec- 
tators, and of the American and French officers who were present." — 
Thacher's Military Journal. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20. 

At Verplanck's Point : " October 20th. — The Secretary at 
"War [General Lincoln] arrived at Camp." — Heath's Memoirs. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24. 

At Verplanck's Point : " October 24th. — The whole Ameri- 
can army manoeuvred before the Hon. the Secretary at 
"War. The Commander in Chief, in the orders of the day, 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 281 

expressed his own, as well as the Secretary at War's fullest 
approbation." — Heath's Memoirs. 

On October 22 the French army set out for Boston in order to embark 
for the West Indies, and on the morning of the 26th the American army- 
left Yerplanck's Point, crossing the Hudson in boats to West Point the 
following day. On the 28th the troops reached New Windsor (two miles 
below Newburgh), to the west of which they were to build their huts and 
go into winter-quarters, the last cantonment of the main Continental army. 
Washington re-established his quarters at Newburgh, in the " Hasbrouck 
House," which he retained until August 18, 1783. ^^ 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30. 

At Newburgh : " October 30th. — The Commander in 
Chief, on this day (30th of Oct.), ordered the regiments 
of the Massachusetts line to be reduced to 8 regiments, of 
600 rank and file each, or as near as could be to that num- 
ber: and the Connecticut line to 3 regiments of similar 
strength, with 3 Field Officers, 9 Captains, 19 Subalterns, 1 
Surgeon, and 1 Mate each ; and the regiments were formed 
accordingly." — Heath's Memoirs. 

On the 7th of August Congress passed resolutions directing the Secretary 
at War, on or before the first day of January, 1783, to cause the non-com- 
missioned oflScers and privates, belonging to the lines of the several States, 
to be arranged in such manner as to form complete regiments of not less 
than five hundred rank and file. The regiments so formed to be completely 
officered ; the officers to agree and determine who should stay in service ; or 
if this could not be eflFected by agreement, the junior officers of each grade 
were to retire. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10. 

At West Point: ^^ November 10th. — I attended the funeral 
of my late worthy friend, Ensign Trant. This young gen- 
tleman at the age of eighteen came over from Ireland about 
two years since, and on his arrival in Boston, was appointed 
an ensign in our regiment. . . . His remains were decently 
interred in the garrison at West Point, and were followed 
to the grave by His Excellency General Washington, and a 
very respectable procession." — Thacher's Military Journal. 



282 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

"WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBEK 13. 

At Newburgh : " It affords me singular pleasure, to have 
it in my power to transmit to you the enclosed copy of an 
act of Congress, of the 7th instant, by which you are re- 
leased from the disagreeable circumstances in which you 
have so long been. Supposing that you would wish to go 
into New York as soon as possible, I also enclose a passport 
for that purpose." — Washington to Captain Charles Asgill. 

Captain Charles Asgill, son of Sir Charles Asgill, had been selected by 
lot at Lancaster (May 27), from the British prisoners of his own rank, to 
be executed in retaliation for the death of Captain Joshua Huddy, taken 
prisoner by a party of refugees while commanding a small body of troops in 
Monmouth County, New Jersey, and hanged April 12. His execution was 
postponed while an investigation as to the exact cause of Captain Buddy's 
death was being made in the British army, and the affair was in suspense 
for several months. In the mean time Lady Asgill had written a pathetic 
letter to Count de Vergennes, the French minister, soliciting him to inter- 
cede with General Washington. This letter, with one from Vergennes to 
Washington, dated July 29, were submitted to Congress. They were taken 
into consideration, and it was resolved " that the Commander-in-chief be 
and is hereby directed to set Captain Asgill at liberty." 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 

At Kingston, ISTew York : " On the 16th of November, 
1782, Kingston was honored by a visit from General "Wash- 
ington. After passing the night of the 15th with his com- 
panion-in-arms Colonel Cornelius "Wynkoop, at his home- 
stead at Stone Ridge [Marbletown], he proceeded on his 
way to Kingston. 

" The arrival of the general and his suite was greeted with 
great rejoicings on the part of the citizens. He put up at 
the public house of Evert Bogardus, but accompanied by 
his staff he dined with Judge Dirck Wynkoop in Green 
Street. In the evening there was a gathering of ladies in 
the Bogardus ball-room, which was honored for a short 
time by the attendance of the general, when the ladies were 
severally introduced to him. The next morning at an early 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 283 

hour he left the village and continued his journey." — Schoon- 
makefs History of Kingston, p. 335. 

" November 1782. — To the Expences of a tour to Poughkeepsy — thence to 
Esopus [Kingston] & along the "Western Frontier of the State of New- 
York . . . £43.10.4." — Washington^ s Accounts. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21. 

At IsTewburgh : " Captain Asgill has been released, and 
is at perfect liberty to return to the arms of an affectionate 
parent, whose pathetic address to your Excellency could not 
fail of interesting every feeling heart, in her behalf. I have 
no right to assume any particular merit from the lenient 
manner in vrhich this disagreeable affair has terminated. 
But I beg you to believe, Sir, that I most sincerely rejoice, 
not only because your humane intentions are gratified, but 
because the event accords with the wishes of his most 
Christian Majesty, and his royal and amiable consort, who, 
by their benevolence and munificence, have endeared them- 
selves to every true American." — Washington to Count de 
Vergennes. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6. 

At Newburgh : M. de Chastellux spends the day, having 
arrived the evening previous, and leaves on the 7th, bidding 
a final farewell to Washington. 

" We passed the North-river as night came on, and arrived at six o'clock 
at Newburgh, where I found Mr. and Mrs. Washington, Colonel Tilgham 
[Tilghman], Colonel Humphreys^ and Major Walker. The head quarters 
of Newburgh consist of a single house, neither vast nor commodious, 
which is built in the Dutch fashion. The largest room in it (which was the 
proprietor's parlour for his family, and which General Washington has 
converted into his dining room) is in truth tolerably spacious, but it has 
seven doors and only one window. The chimney, or rather the chimney 
back, is against the wall ; so that there is in fact but one vent for the smoke, 
and the fire is in the room itself. I found the company assembled in a 
small room which served by way of parlour. At nine supper was served, 
and when the hour of bed- time came, I found that the chamber, to which 
the General conducted me, was the very parlour I speak of, wherein he had 



284 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1782 

made them place a camp-bed. . . . The day I remained at head quarters 
was passed either at table or in conversation. General Hand, Adjutant 
General, Colonel Reed of New Hampshire, and Major Graham dined with 
us. On the 7th I took leave of General Washington, nor is it difficult to 
imagine the pain this separation gave me ; but I have too much pleasure in 
recollecting the real tenderness with which it affected him, not to take a 
pride in mentioning it." — De Chasiellux, ii. 301. 

SATUEDAY, DECEMBER 7. 

At Newburgh : " The Count de Eochambeau, who ar- 
rived here this morning, did me the honor to deliver to me 
your letter of the 29th of November. ... I have only now 
to assure you of my sincere wishes for your safe and speedy 
arrival at the place of your destination, and for your success 
and personal glory in whatever you may undertake." — 
Washington to Baron de Viomenil. 

" On our return to Virginia, we paid another visit to General Washing- 
ton, at New Windsor [Newburgh]. It was here that we took our most 
tender farewell, and that I, as well as the officers who were with me, re- 
ceived from the American army the assurance of their most sincere friend- 
ship for ever." — Memoires de Rochambeau. 

The Count de Rochambeau remained at head-quarters until the 14th, 
when he set out for Annapolis, from whence, in company with the Marquis 
de Chastellux and General de Choisy, he sailed January 11, 1783. His 
visit to Washington was made on his return from Providence, where he 
took leave of the French army. The command then devolved on the Baron 
de Viomenil, who arrived with the troops at Boston during the first week 
of December, but the embarkation did not take place until the 24th. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27. 

At Poughkeepsie, New York : Present at the celebration 
of the festival of St. John the Evangelist, by King Solo- 
mon's Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. 

A medal was struck in 1882, in commemoration of this visit to the 
Poughkeepsie Lodge, which was founded April 18, 1777. — See Baker's 
" Medallic Portraits of Washington," p. 130. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29. 

At Newburgh: "It is with infinite satisfaction, that I 
embrace the earliest opportunity of sending to Philadelphia 



I 



1782] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 285 

the cannon, which Congress were pleased to present to 
your Excellency, in testimony of their sense of the illus- 
trious part you bore in the capture of the British army 
under Lord Cornwallis at York in Virginia. The carriages 
will follow by another conveyance. But, as they were not 
quite ready, I could not resist the pleasure, on that account, 
of forwarding these pieces to you previous to your depart- 
ure, in hopes the inscription and devices, as well as the 
execution, may be agreeable to your wishes." — Washington 
to Count de Bochambeau. 

"Annapolis, January 11, 1783. — Though I was gone from Philadelphia, 
before the cannon arrived there, give me leave to observe, that your usual 
attention and politeness have been shown to the last moment, of which this 
is a fresh proof. I write to the Chevalier de la Luzerne to keep them till 
peace, when they may be carried over without danger of being taken. We 
are just getting under sail. In this moment I renew to your Excellency 
my sincere acknowledgments for your friendship, and am with the most 
inviolable personal attachment and respect your most obedient servant." — 
JRoehambeau to Washington. 



I 



1783. 



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8. 

At Newburgh : " The Power given to Mr. Oswald, to 
treat with any Commissioner or Commissioners properly 
authorized from the United States of America, is more than 
I expected wd. happen before the meeting of Parliament. 
But, as the Gentlemen on the part of America could not 
treat with Him unless such powers were given, it became 
an act of necessity to cede them to effect their other pur- 
poses. Thus I account for the indirect acknowledgment 
of our Independence by the King, who, I dare say, felt 
some severe pangs at the time he put his hand to the Letters 
Patent. It is not, however, less efficacious or pleasing on 
that account; and breaking the Ice is a great point gained." 
— Washington to Robert R. Livingston. 

In the spring of 1782, Richard Oswald was sent by the British ministry 
to Paris, to confer with Dr. Franklin on the subject of peace. His mission 
was initiatory in character. In July following. Parliament having passed 
a bill to enable the king to acknowledge the independence of the United 
States, Oswald was vested with full power to negotiate a treaty of peace, 
and in September the United States appointed four commissioners for the 
same purpose. They were John Adams, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, 
and Henry Laurens, all of whom were in Europe at the time. A prelimi- 
nary treaty of peace was signed by the commissioners and Mr. Oswald at 
Paris, November 30, 1782. In April, 1783, the preliminary treaty having 
been ratified by the United States and Great Britain, the latter vested David 
Hartley with full powers to negotiate a definitive treaty with the American 
commissioners. It was concluded and signed at Paris, September 3, 1783, 
by Hartley, on the part of Great Britain, and Dr. Franklin, John Adams, 
and John Jay, on the part of the United States. 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23. 

At ITewburgh : Orderly Book. — " The evacuation of 
Charlestown,'[December 14, 1782], and the total liberation 

288 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 287 

of the southern states from the power of the enemy, are 
important events, of which the commander-in-chief haa 
now received official information. It is with heartfelt satis- 
faction he takes an early opportunity of making it known, 
and of congratulating the Army on the favourable prospect 
before us. The enemy, after more than a seven years war, 
and all their boasted conquests, being now reduced to 
narrower limits and a weaker force than they were pos- 
sessed of seven years ago."~7 

WEDNESDAY, JANUAKY 29. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " Thursday, the 6th of 
February, being the anniversary of the alliance with France, 
a feu de joie will be fired on that day in celebration of this 
auspicious event, by the troops of this cantonment ; previous 
to which they will be reviewed by the Commander-in-Chief 
on their parades. The regiments to be under arms pre- 
cisely at one o'clock. . . . After the feu de joie, the General 
will be happy to see, not only all the officers of the canton- 
ment, but all the gentlemen of the army and other gentle- 
men and ladies who can attend with convenience at the 
new Public Building, where a cold collation will be pro- 
vided." 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 

At Newburgh : " It is with a pleasure, which friendship 
only is susceptible of, that I congratulate you on the glorious 
end you have put to hostilities in the Southern States. The 
honor and advantages of it, I hope and trust you will long 
live to enjoy. ... If historiographers should be hardy 
enough to fill the page of History with the advantages, that 
have been gained with unequal numbers, (on the part of 
America) in the course of this contest, and attempt to 
relate the distressing circumstances under which they have 
been obtained, it is more than probable, that Posterity will 
bestow on their labors the epithet and marks of fiction ; for 



288 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

it will not be believed, that such a force as Great Britain 
has employed for eight years in this country could be bafSed 
in their plan of subjugating it, by numbers infinitely less, 
composed of men oftentimes half starved, always in Rags, 
without pay, and experiencing at times every species of dis- 
tress, which human nature is capable of undergoing. I 
intended to have wrote you a long letter on sundry matters ; 
but Major Burnet popped in unexpectedly at a time, when 
I was preparing for the celebration of the day, and was just 
going to a review of the troops, previous to the feu de joie." 
— Washington to General Greene. 

SATUKDAY, FEBRUAEY 15. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The ITew Building being 
80 far finished as to admit the troops to attend public worship 
therein, after to-morrow it is directed that divine service 
should be performed there every Sunday by the several 
chaplains of the New Windsor cantonment, in rotation." 

The "New Building," rendered famous as having been the place where 
Washington, in considering the " Newburgh Addresses," read his celebrated 
appeal to the officers of the army, was a one-story frame structure put up 
by the labor and materials furnished by the different regiments. It stood 
on an eminence at New Windsor, and was " handsomely finished, with a 
spacious hall, sufficient to contain a brigade of troops on Lord's days, for 
public worship, with an orchestra at one end. On the top was a cupola and 
a flag-staff." * It was also called the " Temple" and the " Public Building," 
and, although erected for religious services, was used as a meeting-place for 
general purposes. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 4. 

At Newburgh : " The predicament, in which I stand as a 
citizen and soldier, is as critical and delicate as can well be 
conceived. It has been the subject of many contemplative 
hours. The sufferings of a complaining army on one hand, 
and the inability of Congress and tardiness of the States on 

* Heath's Memoirs, p. 358. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 289 

the other, are the forebodings of evil, and may be productive 
of events, which are more to be deprecated than prevented. 
. . . The just claims of the army ought, and it is to be 
hoped will have their weight with every sensible legislature 
in the United States, if Congress point to their demands 
and show, if the case is so, the reasonableness of them, and 
the impracticability of complying with them without their 
aid." — Washington to Alexander Hamilton. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12. 

At ISTewburgh : " It is with inexpressible concern I make 
the following report to your Excellency. Two days ago, 
anonymous papers were circulated in the army, requesting 
a general meeting of the officers on the next day. A copy 
of one of these papers is enclosed. About the same time, 
another anonymous paper, purporting to be an address to 
the officers of the army, was handed about in a clandestine 
manner. It is also enclosed. . . . Since writing the fore- 
going, another anonymous paper is put in circulation, a 
copy of which is enclosed." — Washington to the President of 
Congress. 

After the army went into winter-quarters at New Windsor, they hecame 
extremely dissatisfied with the prospects of having any settlement of the 
long arrearages of pay and unadjusted claims. In December, therefore, a 
memorial to Congress was drawn up, and a committee appointed to carry it 
to Philadelphia. The committee, composed of General McDougall, Colo- 
nel Ogden, and Colonel Brooks, did not meet with the success they antici- 
pated, and the discontent increased. On the 10th of March anonymous 
notices were circulated in the army, calling for a meeting of the general 
and field oflicers at the "New Building," on Tuesday, the 11th, at eleven 
o'clock. At the same time a well-written address was also circulated 
through the camp, which, in eifect, advised the army to take matters into 
their own hands, and to make demonstrations that should arouse the fears of 
the people and of the Congress, and therefore obtain justice for themselves. 
Washington's attention being called to the matter, he referred to it in gen- 
eral orders of the 11th ; expressed his disapprobation of the whole proceed- 
ings as disorderly ; and requested the general and field officers, with one 
officer from each company and a proper representation from the staff of 

20 



290 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

the army, to meet at the " New Building," at twelve o'clock, (5h Saturday, 
March 15. On the appearance of this, a second anonymous address was 
issued, more subdued in tone, but expressing similar sentiments to the first. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 15. 

At New Windsor : A meeting of the officers of the army 
at the " New Building," conformably to the notification 
given in the general orders of the 11th, General Gates as 
senior officer presiding. The meeting was opened by the 
Commander-in-Chief, who read an address, reminding those 
present of the cause for which they had taken up arms, and 
appealing to them not to adopt measures which might cast 
a shade over that glory which had been so justly acquired, 
and tarnish the reputation of an army which was celebrated 
through all Europe for its fortitude and patriotism. " By 
thus determining and thus acting, you will give one more 
distinguished proof of unexampled patriotism and patient 
virtue, rising superior to the pressure of the most compli- 
cated suflferings ; and you will, by the dignity of your con- 
duct, affijrd occasion for posterity to say, when speaking of 
the glorious example you have exhibited to mankind, ' Had 
this day been wanting, the world had never seen the last 
stage of perfection, to which human nature is capable of 
attaining.' " 

After reading his address, Washington retired from the meeting and left 
the oflBicers to discuss the subject unrestrained by his presence. The deliber- 
ation of the officers was short and their decision prompt and unanimous. 
They passed resolutions thanking the Commander-in-Chief for the course 
he had pursued and expressive of their unabated attachment, and also 
declaring their unshaken reliance on the good faith of Congress and their 
country, and a determination to bear with patience their grievances till in 
due time they should be redressed. The anonymous addresses were from 
the pen of Major John Armstrong, an aide-de-camp to General Gates, then 
only twenty-five years of age, and who afterwards held important civil 
offices. They were written at the request of several officers, who believed 
that the tardy proceedings of Congress, and the reluctance of that body to 
recognize the claims of the public creditors, called for a decided expression 
of the sentiments of the army. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 291 

SUNDAY, MAKCH 16. 

At Newburgh : " I have the honor to inform your Excel- 
lency, for the satisfaction of Congress, that the meeting of 
the officers, which was mentioned in my last, was held yes- 
terday ; and that it has terminated in a manner, which I 
had reason to expect, from a knowledge of that good sense 
and steady patriotism of the gentlemen of the army, which 
on frequent occasions I have discovered." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 18. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief is highly satisfied with the report of the proceedings 
of the officers assembled on the 15th instant, in obedience 
to the orders of the 11th. He begs his inability to com- 
municate an adequate idea of the pleasing feelings which 
have been excited in his breast by the afi:ectionate senti- 
ments expressed toward him on that occasion, may be con- 
sidered as an apology for his silence." 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19. • 

At Newburgh : "I have the honor to acknowledge your 
Excellency's favor of the 12th instant, and to thank you 
most sincerely for the intelligence you were pleased to com- 
municate. The articles of treaty between America and 
Great Britain are as full and as satisfactory as we had 
reason to expect ; but, from the connexion in which they 
stand with a general pacification, they are very inconclu- 
sive and contingent." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

The intelligence was the news of the preliminary articles of peace be- 
tween Great Britain and the United States having been signed by the com- 
missioners at Paris on the 30th of November. The news was brought by 
the packet " Washington," commanded by Captain Barney, who sailed from 
L'Orient on the 17th of January, and arrived at Philadelphia on the morn- 
ing of the 12th of March. 



292 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

SATUEDAT, MARCH 22. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " In justice to the zeal 
and ability of the chaplains, as well as to his own feelings, 
the Commander-in-Chief thinks it a duty to declare that 
the regularity and decorum with which divine service ia 
performed every Sunday will reflect great credit on the 
army in general, tend to improve the morals, and at the 
same time increase the happiness of the soldiery, and must 
afford the most pure, rational entertainment for every serious 
and well-disposed mind." 

SUNDAY, MARCH 30. 

At Newburgh : " Your Excellency will permit me, with 
the most lively sensations of gratitude and pleasure, to re- 
turn you my warmest thanks for the communication, which 
you have been pleased to make to me and to the army, 
of the glorious news of a general peace ; an event, which 
cannot fail to diffuse a general joy throughout the United 
States, but to none of their citizens more than to the ofiicers 
and soldiers, who now compose the army." — Washington to 
the President of Congress. 

The first intelligence of the signing of a general treaty of peace at Paris, on 
the 20th of January, was brought to America by the " Triumph," a French 
armed vessel, sent by Lafayette from Count d'Estaing's squadron at Cadiz. 
It arrived at Philadelphia in the afternoon of the 23d of March. The fol- 
lowing letter was received by the President of Congress from the Marquis 
de Lafayette : " Cadiz, 5 February, 1783. — Having been at some pains to 
engage a vessel to go to Philadelphia, I now find myself happily relieved 
by the kindness of Count d'Estaing. He is just now pleased to tell me, 
that he will despatch a French ship, and, by way of compliment on the 
occasion, he has made choice of the Triumph. So that I am not without 
hope of giving Congress the first tidings of a general peace ; and I am 
happy in the smallest opportunity of doing any thing that may prove 
agreeable to America." 

MONDAY, MARCH 31. 

At Newburgh : " I rejoice most exceedingly that there is 
an end to our warfare, and that such a field is opening to 
our view, as will, with wisdom to direct the cultivation of 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 293 

it, make us a great, a respectable, and happy people ; but 
it must be improved by other means than State politics, and 
unreasonable jealousies and prejudices, or (it requires not 
the second sight to see that) we shall be instruments in the 
hands of our enemies, and those European powers, who 
may be jealous of our greatness in union, to dissolve the 
confederation. But, to obtain this, although the way seems 
extremely plain, is not so easy." — Washington to Alexander 
Hamilton. 

" It remains only for the States to be wise, and to establish their in- 
dependence on the basis of an inviolable, efficacious union, and a firm 
confederation, which may prevent their being made the sport of Euro- 
pean policy. May heaven give them wisdom to adopt the measures still 
necessary for this important purpose." — Washington to General Greene, 
March 31. 

SATUKDAY, APKIL 5. 

At Newburgh : " We stand now an Independent People, 
and have yet to learn political Tactics. We are placed 
among the nations of the Earth, and have a character to 
establish; but how we shall acquit ourselves, time must 
discover. The probability is (at least I fear it) that local or 
State politics will interfere too much with the more liberal 
and extensive plan of government, which wisdom and fore- 
sight, freed from the mist of prejudice, would dictate ; and 
that we shall be guilty of many blunders in treading this 
boundless theatre, before we shall have arrived at any per- 
fection in this art ; in a word, that the experience, which is 
purchased at the price of difficulties and distress, will alone 
convince us, that the honor, power, and true Interest of this 
Country must be measured by a Continental scale, and that 
every departure therefrom weakens the Union, and may 
ultimately break the band which holds us together." — 
Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. 

WEDNESDAY, APKIL 9. 

At ITewburgh : " I feel great satisfaction from your Ex- 
cellency's despatches by Captain Stapleton, conveying to me 



294 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

the joyful annunciation of your having received official 
accounts of the conclusion of a general peace, and a cessa- 
tion of hostilities. Without official authority from Con- 
gress, but perfectly relying on your communication, I can 
at this time only issue my orders to the American out-posts, 
to suspend all acts of hostilities until further orders. This 
shall be instantly done ; and I shall be happy in the momen- 
tary expectation of having it in my power to publish to the 
American army a general cessation of hostilities between 
Great Britain and America." — Washington to Sir Guy Carle- 
ton. 

" A packet from England arrived in this port last night, by which I have 
despatches from Mr. Townshend, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries 
of State, communicating official intelligence, that preliminary articles of 
peace with France and Spain were signed at Paris on the 20th of January 
last, and that the ratifications have been since exchanged at the same place. 
The King, Sir, has been pleased in consequence of these events, to order 
proclamations to be published, declaring a cessation of arms, as well by sea 
as land ; and his Majesty's pleasure signified, that I should cause the same 
to be published in all places under my command, in order that his Majesty's 
subjects may pay immediate and due obedience thereto; and such proc- 
lamation I shall accordingly cause to be made on Tuesday next, the 8th 
instant." — Carleton to Washington, New York, April 6. 

FRIDAY, APRIL 18. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief orders the cessation of hostilities, between the United 
States and the King of Great Britain, to be publicly pro- 
claimed to-morrow at twelve at the New Building; and 
that the Proclamation, which will be communicated here- 
with, be read to-morrow evening at the head of every regi- 
ment and corps of the army; after which the Chaplains 
with the several brigades will render thanks to Almighty 
God for all His mercies, particularly for His overruling the 
wrath of man to His glory, and causing the rage of war to 
cease among the nations." 

" April 19th. — At noon, the Proclamation of the Congress, for a cessation 
of hostilities, was published at the door of the New Building, followed by 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 295 

three huzzas ; after which a prayer was made hy the Kev. Mr. Ganno, and 
an anthem, Independence, from Billings [" No King but God"] was per- 
formed by vocal and instrumental music. The same day, Gen. Washing- 
ton went for Eingwood, to meet the Secretary at War, on some business of 
importance." — Heath's Memoirs. 

SUNDAY, APEIL 20. 

At Newburgh: ^^ April 20th. — At evening, the Com- 
mander in Chief returned [from Eingwood, New Jersey] to 
head-quarters." — Heath's Memoirs. 

" April 1783. — To the Expences of a Trip to meet the Secretary at "War 
at Eingwood for the purpose of making arrangements for liberating the 
Prisoners, &c. . £8.10.8." — Washington's Accounts. 

SATUEDAY, MAYS. 

At Dobbs' Ferry : " May 3d. — In the forenoon the Com- 
mander in Chief, and Gov. Clinton, with their suites, &c. 
went down the river to Dobb's Ferry, to meet Gen. Sir Guy 
Carleton. Four companies of light infantry marched [on 
the 2d] for that place, to do the duty of guards. Sir Guy 
was to come up the river in a frigate." — Heath's Memoirs. 

•' I cannot decline the personal interview proposed by your Excellency, 
and purpose being in a frigate as near Tappan as may be, where I under- 
stand you mean to lodge. If I hear nothing from you to occasion an 
alteration, I intend being up, on the 5th of May, accompanied by a smaller 
vessel or two, for the accommodation of Lieutenant-Governor Elliot, Chief 
Justice William Smith, and part of my family." — Carleton to Washington, 
New York, April 24. 

TUESDAY, MAY 6. 

At Dobbs' Ferry : In conference with Sir Guy Carleton, 
in relation to the evacuation of the posts in the United 
States in possession of the British troops, and other ar- 
rangements. 

During the conferences between the two commanders, which are said to 
have been held at the Van Brugh Livingston house, on the height which 
overlooks the Hudson at Dobbs' Ferry, on the eastern shore of the river, 
Washington made his quarters at Orangetown or Tappan, on the west side, 
about two miles from the ferry. 



296 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

THUKSDAT, MAY 8. 

At Dobbs' Ferry : " On Thursday, the 8th May, the Amer- 
ican party dined on board the sloop [frigate ?], where they 
were received with military honors and entertained with 
stately courtesy by Sir Guy. When "Washington and Clin- 
ton went on board the British sloop of war they were saluted 
with the firing of a number of cannon. When they left the 
sloop she fired seventeen guns— in honor of Washington's 
exalted military rank. This was the first complimentary 
salute fired by Great Britain in honor of an officer of the 
United States, and virtually the first salute to the nation." 
— John Austin Stevens, " Magazine of American History " 
V. 108. 

FRIDAY, MAY 9. 

At mwburgh : " May 9th.— At evening the Commander 
in Chief returned to head-quarters, having had an interview 
with Gen. Sir Guy Carleton."— Heath's Memoirs. 

" To Expenditures upon an Interview with Sir Guy Carleton at Orange 
Town exclusive of what was paid by the Contract".— Viz : At Birdsalls. • 
£5.2.6.— Maj' Blauvets for the use of his H» Furniture &c. 10 Guin' a 
37/4. . £18.13.4.— Gave the Dragoons to carry them to their Quarters. . 
£5.12.0— Gave the Serv«^ to travel up by Land to H*. Quarters. . £3.4.0 
= Y''. Cury. . . £32.11.10."— Washington's Accounts. 

SATURDAY, MAY 10. 

At ITewburgh : " I had not the honor of receiving your 
favor of the 1st instant until the 7th. Being at that time at 
Orangetown on a conference with Sir Guy Carleton, it had 
a circuitous route to make before it reached me. ... I 
have now the honor to mention to you, as I did some time 
ago to the Minister of France, that, viewing the peace so 
near a final conclusion, I could not hold myself justified in 
a desire to detain the troops under your command from the 
expectations of their sovereign, or to prevent their own 

wishes of a return to their native country and friends." 

Washington to the Duke de Lauzun. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 297 

The French troops under the Duke de Lauzun, being part of Count de 
Kochambeau's army that remained after the departure of the main body at 
Boston, sailed from the Capes of Delaware on the 12th of May. They had 
been cantoned recently at Wilmington, in the State of Delaware. Some of 
these remaining troops had also been stationed at Baltimore under General 
Lavalette, being the detachment left by Count de Koehambeau at Yorktown 
to effect the removal of the French artillery and stores from that place. 

THUKSDAY, MAY 15. 

At Poughkeepsie, New York: "May 15th. — The Com- 
mander in Chief went for Poughkeepsie. A letter from 
Gen. Sir Guy Carleton, to Gov. Chnton, had rendered an 
interview between the Governor and the Commander in 
Chief necessary." — Heath's Memoirs. 

"May 16th. — At evening, the Commander in Chief returned to head- 
quarters." — Heath's Memoirs. 

MONDAY, JUNE 2. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The Honorable the Con- 
gress have been pleased to pass the following resolve : ' Re- 
solved, That the Commander-in-Chief be instructed to 
grant furloughs to the non-commissioned ofl3.cers and sol- 
diers in the service of the United States enlisted to serve 
during the war, who shall be discharged as soon as the 
definitive treaty of peace is concluded, together with a pro- 
portional number of commissioned ofiicers of the different 
grades, and that the Secretary of War and Commander-in- 
Chief take the proper measures for conducting those troops 
to their respective homes, in such a manner as may be most 
convenient to themselves, and the States through which they 
may pass, and that the men thus furloughed be allowed to 
take their arms with them.' In consequence of the pre- 
ceding resolution, colonels and commanders of corps will 
immediately make return of the number of men who will 
be entitled to furloughs, to the commanding ofiicers of the 
several State Lines, who will make report thereof to Head- 
quarters. At the same time returns are to be made of the 
non-commissioned ofiicers and privates who will not be in- 



298 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

eluded in the above description. ... A suificient number 
of officers of the several grades to command the troops 
who will remain in the field must continue with them. 
They are requested to make this a matter of agreement 
among themselves." 

FKIDAY, JUNE 6. 

At Newbursrh : Receives and answers an address from 
the " Generals and officers commanding regiments and 
corps, in the cantonment on Hudson's River," relative to 
the furloughing of officers and soldiers without any settle- 
ment of their accounts. 

" The two subjects of complaint with the army appear to be, the delay of 
the three months payment, which had been expected, and the want of a set- 
tlement of accounts. I have thought myself authorized to assure them, 
that Congress had attended and would attend particularly to their grievances, 
and have made some little variations respecting furloughs from what was at 
first proposed." — Washington to the President of Congress, June 7. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 8. 

At Newburgh : Issues a circular letter addressed to the 
governors of the several States, pointing out the course 
which he deemed it the duty and the interest of the country 
to adopt. 

" The circular letter which he wrote to the governors of the States, as 
his last official communication, and which was designed to be laid before the 
several legislatures, is remarkable for its ability, the deep interest it mani- 
fests for the officers and soldiers who had fought the battles of their country, 
the soundness of its principles, and the wisdom of its counsels. Four great 
points he aims to enforce as essential in guiding the deliberations of every 
public body, and as claiming the serious attention of every citizen, namely, 
an indissoluble union of the States ; a sacred regard to public justice ; the 
adoption of a proper military peace establishment ; and a pacific and friendly 
disposition among the people of the States, which should induce them to 
forget local prejudices, and incline them to mutual concessions for the ad- 
vantage of the community. These he calls the pillars by which alone inde- 
pendence and national character can be supported. On each of these topics 
he remarks at considerable length, with a felicity of style and cogency of 
reasoning in all respects worthy of the subject." — Sparks, i. 395. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 299 

In quite a number of publications the date of this letter is given as of 
June 18. The transcript, however, in the Department of State, Washing- 
ton, D.C., is dated June 8. The letter was submitted to Congress on June 
11, and referred to a committee, consisting of Alexander Hamilton, James 
Madison, and Theodoric Bland, who on the 19th reported favorably, and it 
was resolved that copies should be transmitted to the several States. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 10. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The strength of the 
army in this cantonment being considerably diminished by 
the number of men lately furloughed, the order of the 16th 
of April, directing a General, Field-Officers, and Quarter- 
Master to be of the day, and also a regiment to parade 
every day for duty, is dispensed with. For the present, 
there will be one Field-Officer, and an Adjutant of the day ; 
and the guards only will form on the grand parade at 9 
o'clock in the morning." 

The gradual falling away of the main Continental army from the canton- 
ment at New Windsor is recorded in Heath's Memoirs : " June 5th. The 
Maryland battalion marched from the cantonment. — June 6th. In the 
forenoon, the Jersey line marched from the cantonment to their own State, 
where they were to be disbanded. — June 8th. The men for the war, belong- 
ing to the Maryland, New-Jersey, New- York, and New- Hampshire lines, 
having marched from the cantonment, a division of the Massachusetts men 
marched on this day. — June 9th. A division of the Suffolk and Worcester 
furloughed men, marched for their own State, and so on, a division each 
day, until the whole had marched. — June 13th. The men who had enlisted 
for 3 years, and for shorter periods not expired, were formed, those belong- 
ing to Massachusetts into 4 regiments. ... On the morning of the 16th, 
these regiments incorporated, and were formed into two brigades. — June 
20th. The troops at the cantonment were put under orders, to be ready to 
march for West Point on the succeeding Monday. — June 23d. The Massa- 
chusetts regiments marched to West Point." 

THURSDAY, JUNE 19. 

At IS'ewburgh: '•'■ June 19th. — A number of officers of 
the army, viz. several general officers, and officers com- 
manding regiments and corps, met at the ITew Building, 
and elected his Excellency Gen. "Washington, President 
General; Gen. M'Dougal, Treasurer; and Gen. Knox, Sec- 



300 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

retary, pro tempore^ to the Society of the Cincinnati." — 
Heath's Memoirs. 

"While contemplating a final separation of the oflScers of the army," 
says Doctor Thacher, " the tenderest feelings of the heart had their afflicting 
operations. It was at the suggestion of General Knox, and with the acqui- 
escence of the Commander in Chief, that an expedient was devised by which 
a hope was entertained that their long cherished friendship and social inter- 
course might be perpetuated, and that at future periods they might annually 
communicate, and revive a recollection of the bonds by which they were 
connected." In pursuance of these suggestions a meeting was held on the 
10th day of May, at which a committee was appointed to revise the pro- 
posals for such an institution. The report of the committee was accepted 
at a meeting held May 13, at the quarters of Baron Steuben, in the Ver- 
planck house, near Fishkill Landing, and the " Society of the Cincinnati," 
with a provision for the formation of State Societies, was organized. Wash- 
ington officiated as president until his death. 

FKIDAY, JUNE 20 

At l^ewburgh : Orderly Book. — " The troops of this can- 
tonment [New Windsor] will march on Monday morning, 
5 o'clock, by the left. The senior Brigadier on the Massa- 
chusetts Line will conduct the column over Butter Hill to 
"West Point. . . . These corps, with the troops at West 
Point, will compose the garrisons of that post and its de- 
pendencies. Major-general Knox will be pleased to expe- 
dite in the best manner he is able the building of an arsenal 
and magazines, agreeably to the instructions he hath re- 
ceived from the Secretary at War. As soon as the troops 
are collected at West Point, an accurate inspection is to 
take place, in consequence of which all non-commissioned 
officers and privates who are incapable of service, except in 
the corps of invalids, are to be discharged, and the names 
of all the men whose time of service will expire within a 
month are also to be reported to Head-quarters." 

TUESDAY, JUNE 24. 

At Newburgh : " The men engaged to serve three years 
were formed into regiments and corps in the following 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 301 

manner ; namely, the troops of Massachusetts compose four 
regiments; Connecticut, one regiment; New Hampshire, 
five companies ; Rhode Island, two companies ; Massachu- 
setts artillery, three companies ; and New York artillery, 
two companies. The army being thus reduced to merely a 
competent garrison for West Point, that being the only ob- 
ject of importance in this quarter, and it being necessary to 
employ a considerable part of the men in building an arsenal 
and magazines at that post, agreeably to the directions 
given by the secretary at war, the troops accordingly broke 
up the cantonment [at New Windsor] yesterday, and re- 
moved to that garrison, where Major-General Knox still 
retains the command." — Washington to the President of Con- 
gress. 

TUESDAY, JULY 8. 

At Newburgh : " It now rests with the Confederated 
Powers, by the line of conduct they mean to adopt, to make 
this Country great, happy and respectable; or to sink it 
into littleness — worse perhaps — into Anarchy and confusion ; 
for certain I am, that unless adequate Powers are given to 
Congress for the general purposes of the Federal Union, that 
we shall soon moulder into dust and become contemptible 
in the eyes of Europe, if we are not made the sport of their 
Politicks." — Washington to Dr. William Gordon. 

THURSDAY, JULY 10. 

At Newburgh : " I cannot sufficiently express my sensi- 
bility for your kind congratulations on the favorable termi- 
nation of the War, and for the flattering manner in which 
you are pleased to speak of my instrumentality in effecting 
a revolution, which I can truly aver, was not in the begin- 
ning premeditated ; but the result of dire necessity brought 
about by the persecuting spirit of the British Government. 
This no man can speak to with more certainty, or assert 
upon better grounds than myself — as I was a member of 



302 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON [1783 

Congress in the Councils of America till the affair at 
Bunker Hill, and was an attentive observer and witness to 
those interesting and painful struggles for accommodation, 
and redress of grievances in a Constitutional way, which all 
the world saw and must have approved, except the igno- 
rant, deluded and designing." — Washington to George William 
Fairfax. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16. 

At Newburgh: "I have resolved to wear away a little 
time [while expecting the definitive treaty], in performing 
a tour to the northward, as far as Ticonderoga and Crown 
Point, and perhaps as far up the Mohawk River as Fort 
Schuyler. I shall leave this place on Friday next, and shall 
probably be gone about two weeks." — Washington to the Presi- 
dent of Congress. 

Washington left head-quarters on July 18, in company with Governor 
Clinton ; passed Albany, Old Saratoga, Fort Edward, Lake George, Ticon- 
deroga, Crown Point, and returned by way of Ballston and Schenectady ; 
thence up the Mohawk to Fort Schuyler (formerly Fort Stanwix), and over 
to Wood Creek ; thence down across to Otsego Lake, and over the portage 
to the Mobawk, arriving at Albany on August 4, and at Newburgh on the 
following day. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6. 

At Newburgh : " After a tour of at least seven hundred 
and fifty miles, performed in nineteen days, I returned to 
this place yesterday afternoon, where I found your favor of 
the 81st ultimo, intimating a resolution of Congress for 
calling me to Princeton, partly, as it would seem, on my 
own account, and partly for the purpose of giving aid to 
Congress." — Washington to James McHenry. 

In consequence of some riotous demonstrations on the part of a small 
body of Pennsylvania troops, against the State government. Congress, 
deeming themselves unsafe at Philadelphia, had adjourned on June 21, and 
reassembled at Princeton, New Jersey, on the 30th. The resolution of 
Congress, requesting the attendance of the Commander-in-Chief, was passed 
July 28. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 303 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12. 

At ISTewburgh : " I have received a call from Congress 
to repair to Princeton. ... As tliis will remove me to a 
distance, and may for a considerable time separate us, and 
prevent frequent personal Interviews; I should be much 
obliged to you for intimating to me — before I go — what 
will be necessary for me to do respecting our purchase of 
the Saratoga Springs." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

On their return from Crown Point and Ticonderoga, in the month of 
July, Washington and Governor Clinton stopped at the High Rock Spring, 
where the village of Saratoga Springs now stands. Being strongly im- 
pressed with the value of the water and the importance of the surrounding 
land, they determined to purchase it, the necessary arrangements being left 
to Governor Clinton. It was found, however, that some members of the 
Livingston family had already secured the land. The High Eock and Flat 
Eock Springs were the only ones known at the time. 

SATUEDAY, AUGUST 16. 

At ISTewburgh : Answers an address (dated July 10) from 
the Senate and House of Representatives of the Common- 
wealth of Massachusetts, in general court assembled, con- 
gratulating him on the return of peace. 

After referring to the happy return of peace, with expressions of grati- 
tude to the Supreme Euler of the universe, the wise conduct of the Com- 
mander-in-Chief in discharging his important trust, and the hardships he 
endured, the address concludes in the following words : " While patriots 
shall not cease to applaud the sacred attachment which you have constantly 
manifested to the rights of citizens — too often violated by men in arms ! 
your military virtues and atchievements will be deeply recorded in the 
breasts of your countrymen and their posterity, and make the brightest 
pages in the history of mankind." 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17. 

At Newburgh : Orderly Book. — " The Commander-in- 
Chief, having been requested by Congress to give his 
attendance at Princeton, proposes to set out for that place 
to-morrow ; but he expects to have the pleasure of seeing 
the army again before he retires to private life. During his 



304 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

absence Major-general Knox will retain command of the 
troops, and all reports are to be made to him accordingly." 

This is the last order issued by the Commander-in-Chief from the New- 
burgh head-quarters. On the following morning he set out for Eocky Hill, 
New Jersey, four miles north of Princeton, stopping at West Point on his 
way. An interesting incident of this visit to West Point exists in a mem- 
orandum of the weights of several of the officers, taken on August 19, in 
which Washington's is stated to be two hundred and nine pounds. He 
arrived at Eocky Hill on the 24th. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 25. 

At Rocky Hill, New Jersey : On this day Congress, in 
session at Princeton, " being informed of the arrival of the 
commander in chief in the neighborhood of Princeton : 
Ordered, That he have an audience in Congress to-morrow 
at 12 o'clock." 

Washington's head-quarters at Eocky Hill (the last head-quarters of the 
Eevolution) were at the house of Judge Berrien, which had been engaged by 
Congress and suitably furnished for the purpose. The house (a two-story 
frame building with piazzas) is still standing upon an eminence a short 
distance from the Millstone Eiver. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26. 

At Princeton, New Jersey : Attends Congress according 
to order, and being introduced by two members, an address 
is made to him by the President (Elias Boudinot), which lie 
answers. 

*' Congress feel particular pleasure in seeing your excellency, and in 
congratulating you on the success of a war, in which you have acted so 
conspicuous a part. |_Tt has been the singular happiness of the United 
States, that during a war so long, so dangerous, and so important. Provi- 
dence has been graciously pleased to preserve the life of a general, who has 
merited and possessed the uninterrupted confidence and affection of his 
fellow citizens. In other nations many have performed services, for which 
they have deserved and received the thanks of the public. But to you. Sir, 
peculiar praise is due. Your services have been essential in acquiring and 
establishing the freedom and independence of your country. They deserve 
the grateful acknowledgments of a free and independent nation. These 
acknowledgments, Congress have the satisfaction of expressing to your 
excellenc^' — Journal of Congress, 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 305 

THUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. 

At Rocky Hill : " Congress have come to no determina- 
tion yet^ respecting a Peace Establishment, nor am I able to 
say when they will. I have lately had a conference with a 
committee on this subject, and have reiterated my former 
opinions, but it appears to me, that there is not a sufficient 
representation to discuss Great National points; nor do I 
believe there will be, while that Honble. Body continue 
their Sessions at this place." — Washington to Governor 
Clinton. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. 

At Princeton : Attends the annual commencement of the 
College of New Jersey, the exercises being held in the First 
Presbyterian Church. 

After the commencement exercises the Board of Trustees of the College 
adopted the following minute: "The Board being desirous to give some 
testimony of their high respect for the character of his Excellency General 
Washington, who has so auspiciously conducted the armies of America. 
Resolved, That the Rev. Drs. Witherspoon, Rodgers, and Johnes be a com- 
mittee to wait upon his Excellency to request him to sit for his picture, to 
be taken by Mr. Charles Wilson Peale of Philadelphia. And that this 
portrait when finished be placed in the Hall of the College, in the room of 
the picture of the late King of Great Britain (George the Second), which 
was torn away by a ball from the American artillery in the battle of Prince- 
ton." On the following day " Dr. Witherspoon [President of the College] 
reported to the Board that his Excellency General Washington had de- 
livered to him fifty guineas, which he begged the Trustees to accept as a 
testimony of his respect for the College." The picture, a full-length, rep- 
resenting Washington at the battle of Princeton, is still owned by the 
College. I ^ Ji 



SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12. 

At Princeton : " Having the appearance, and indeed the 
enjoyment of peace, without a final declaration of it, I, who 
am only waiting for the ceremonials, or till the British forces 
shall have taken leave of New York, am placed in an awk- 
ward and disagreeable situation, it being my anxious desire 
to quit the walks of public life, and under the shadow of my 

21 



;^j" 



306 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

own vine and my own fig tree to seek those enjoyments and 
that relaxation, which a mind, that has been constantly upon 
the stretch for more than eight years, stands so much in need 
of. I have fixed this epoch to the a,rrival of the definitive 
treaty, or to the evacuation of m}^ country by our newly 
acquired friends." — Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux. 

"WHEREAS, by the blessing of Divine Providence on our cause and 
our arms, the glorious period is arrived when our national independence and 
sovereignty are established, and we enjoy the prospect of a permanent and 
honorable peace: We therefore, the United States in Congress assembled, 
impressed with a lively sense of the distinguished merit and good conduct 
of the armies [of the United States of America], do give them the thanks 
of their country for their long, eminent and faithful services. And it is our 
will and pleasure, that such part of the federal armies as stands engaged to 
serve during the war, and as by our acts of the 26th day of May, the 11th 
day of June, the 9th day of August, and the 26th day of September last, 
were furloughed, shall, from and after the 3d day of November next, be 
absolutely discharged, by virtue of this our proclamation, from the said 
service." — Journal of Congress, October 18, 1783. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23. 

At Rocky Hill : " From many circumstances I think it 
now pretty evident, that the British will leave New York in 
all next month. Sir Gruy Carleton has informed me verbally, 
through Mr. Parker, that he expects to evacuate the city by 
the 20th, and that, when the transports, which were gone 
to Nova Scotia, returned, he should be able to fix the day 
of his departure. In consequence of this intelligence, and 
fearful lest I should not have timely notice, I have this day 
written to General Knox, desiring him to confer with your 
Excellency, and make every necessary arrangement for 
taking possession of the city the moment the British quit 
it." — Washington to Governor Clinton. 

It was some time during his occupancy of the " Berrien House," at Rocky 
Hill, that Washington sat to William Dunlap, then in his eighteenth year, 
for his portrait. In mentioning this fact {Arts of Design, i. 253), Mr. 
Dunlap adds, " My visits were now frequent to head-quarters. The only 
military in the neighborhood were the general's suite and a captain's guard, 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 307 

whose tents were on the green hefore the Berrian house, and the captain's 
marque nearly in front. The soldiers were New England yeomen's sons, 
none older than twenty; their commander was Captain Howe, in after 
times long a resident of New York. ... I was quite at home in every 
respect at head-quarters ; to breakfast and dine day after day with the 
general and Mrs. Washington, and members of congress, and noticed as the 
young painter, was delicious." Dunlap's early effort, a crayon drawing, 
possesses no particular significance in the history of Washington portraiture. 

FKIDAY, OCTOBER 31. 

At Princeton : " On tlie Slst of October, the honorable 
Peter John Van Berckel, minister plenipotentiary from their 
high mightinesses the States General of the United Nether- 
lands, was admitted by congress to an audience. The chev- 
alier de La Luzerne, general Washington, the superintend- 
ent of finance, many other gentlemen of eminence, together 
with a number of ladies of the first character, assembled in 
the chapel of Princeton college to participate of the joys 
the audience should afibrd ; and for which their spirits were 
put into proper tone, by the arrival, a little before Mr. Van 
Berckel entered, of an authentic account that the definitive 
treaty between Great Britain and the United States was 
concluded." — Gordon, History of the American Revolution, iv. 
379. 

On Saturday, October 26, Congress, in session, resolved, " That the hon- 
orable P. J. Berckel, be received as minister plenipotentiary from their high 
mightinesses the states general of the United Netherlands ; and that agree- 
ably to his request, he be admitted to a public audience in Congress. That 
the Congress room in Princeton, on Thursday next [the 30th] at noon, be 
appointed as the time and place for such audience. That the superintend- 
ant of finance and secretary at war, or either of them, perform on this 
occasion, the duties assigned to the secretary for foreign affairs, in the 
ceremonial respecting foreign ministers ; and that they inforaa the supreme 
executives of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, his excellency the commander 
in chief, the honorable the minister plenipotentiary of France, and such 
civil and military gentlemen as are in or near Princeton, of the public 
audience to be given to the honorable the minister plenipotentiary of their 
high mightinesses the states general of the United Netherlands." The audi- 
ence, however, did not take place until the following day, Friday, October 
31, as stated by Dr. Gordon. 



308 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2. 

At Rocky Hill: Issues his * Farewell Address to the 
Armies of the United States. 

In this admirable address, after referring to the unparalleled perseverance 
of the armies of the United States, through almost every possible suffering 
and discouragement, the complete attainment of the object for which they 
had contended, at a period earlier than could have been expected, and the 
enlarged prospects of happiness opened by the confirmation of national in- 
dependence and sovereignty, the Commander-in-Chief recommends all the 
troops to carry into civil society the most conciliating dispositions, proving 
themselves not less virtuous and useful as citizens than they had been per- 
severing and victorious as soldiers, and to maintain the strongest attach- 
ment to the Union. Then, presenting his thanks in the most serious and 
affectionate manner to the officers and men for the assistance he had received 
from every class, he adds, " And being now to conclude these his last pub- 
lic orders, to take his ultimate leave in a short time of the military character, 
and to bid a final adieu to the armies he has so long had the honor to com- 
mand, he can only again offer in their behalf his recommendations to their 
grateful country, and his prayers to the God of armies. May ample justice 
be done them here, and may the choicest of Heaven's favors, both here and 
hereafter, attend those, who, under the Divine auspices, have secured in- 
numerable blessings for others. With these wishes and this benediction, 
the Commander-in-chief is about to retire from service. The curtain of 
separation will soon be drawn, and the military scene to him will be closed 
for ever. ' ' 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4. 

At Rocky Hill : Issues an order in compliance with a 
resolution of Congress of October 29, that " from and after 
the 15th of November instant all the troops in the service 
of the United States, who are now in Pennsylvania, or the 
southward thereof, except the garrison of Fort Pitt, shall 
be considered as discharged from the service of the United 
States : and all officers commanding corps or detachments 
of any such troops, are hereby directed to grant them proper 
discharges accordingly." 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6. 

At Rocky Hill : " In consequence of the information 
given by your Excellency to Congress some time past, that 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 309 

you had received orders for the evacuation of New York, 
and of the verbal message'you were pleased to send by Mr. 
Parker to me respecting the period of embarkation, I am 
now induced to request, that you will be so obliging as to 
inform me of the particular time, or even the certain day, 
if possible, when this event will happen." — Washington to 
Sir Guy Carkion. 

The following description of the horse and saddle used by Washington 
when at Kocky Hill is transcribed from a MS. note dated " Prince-Town 
Sep'. 28"' 1783," found among the papers of Nathaniel Lawrence, Attorney- 
General of New York, 1792-95: " Genl Washingtons horse and saddle. 
Old crooked saddle with a short deep blue saddle cloth flowered, with buff 
cloth at the edge, buckskin seat, the cloth not below the skirts of the saddle 
at the sides ; double skirts, crupper, sursingle, and breast strap ; small rone 
horse, not five ; double bitted steal bridle, and plated stirrups. The Gen- 
eral usually rode from Rockingham to Prince Town, which is five miles, in 
forty minutes. The General weighs commonly about 210 pounds." 

FEIDAY, NOVEMBER 7. 

At Rocky Hill : Receives and answers an address from 
the officers of the militia of the county of Somerset, New 
Jersey. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 

At Rocky Hill : " You will take charge of the "Waggons 
which contain my baggage, and with the escort proceed 
with them to Virginia, and deliver the baggage at my house 
ten miles below Alexandria. As you know they contain all 
my Papers, which are of immense value to me, I am sure it 
is unnecessary to request your particular attention to them. 
. . . The bundle which contains my accounts you will be 
carefull of, and deliver them at the financier's Office with the 
Letters addressed to him, that is Mr. Morris." — Washington 
to Captain Bazaleel Howe. 

^^Philadelphia, November 11, 1783. — In the evening came Genl. "Wash- 
ington's 6 Baggage Teams. November 12. — His Excel. Baggage Teams set 
out for that Excellent Commander's Residence in Virginia." — MS. Journal 
of Jacob Hiltzheimer. 



310 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

PRIDAY, NOVEMBEK 14. 

At West Point : " I had the Ronor yesterday to receive, 
by Major Beckwith, your Excellency's favor of the 12th. 
To-day I will see the governor of this State, and concert 
with him the necessary arrangements for taking possession 
of the city of New York, and the other posts mentioned in 
your letter, at the times therein specified." — Washington to 
Sir Guy Carleton. 

As a step preparatory to taking possession of the city of New York, 
General Washington went from Rocky Hill to "West Point, where the part 
of the Continental army that still remained in service was stationed, under 
the command of General Knox. "On his way to West Point, being over- 
taken by a snow storm, Washington was detained at Orangetown or Tappan 
nearly three days. During this delay he was the guest of Mrs. De Wint, 
at the house occupied by him as head-quarters in 1780." — Magazine of 
American History, v. 109. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15. 

At West Point : Receives from the officers of that part ot 
the army remaining on the banks of the Hudson an answer 
to his Farewell Address to the Armies of the United States. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 

At West Point : Garrison Orders. — " The Definitive Treaty 
being concluded and the city of New York to be evacuated 
on the 22d inst, His Excellency the Commander in Chief 
proposes to celebrate the Peace at that place, on Monday 
the first day of December next, by a display of Fire- Works 
and Illuminations, which were intended to have been ex- 
hibited at this post, or such of them as have not been 
injured by time, and can be removed." 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18. 

At West Point : " I have at length the pleasure to inform 
your Excellency and Congress, that Sir Guy Carleton has 
fix:ed upon the time at which he proposes to evacuate the 
city of JSTew York. The particulars are more fully ex- 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 311 

plained in his letter of the 12th instant, a copy of which, 
together with my answer, is enclosed." — Washington to the 
President of Congress. 

" I propose to relinquish the posts at Kingsbridge, and as far as McGowans 
Pass inclusive on this Island, on the 21st instant ; to resign the possession 
of Herrick's and Hampstead with all to the eastward on Long Island, on 
the same day ; and, if possible to give up this city with Brooklyn, on 
the day following; and Paulus Hook, Dennis's, and Staten Island, as soon 
after as may be practicable." — Carleton to Washington, New York, Novem- 
ber 12. 

FKIDAY, NOVEMBER 21. 

At " Day's Tavern," Harlem : " On Friday, the 21st of 
November, arrived at Haerlem, at Day's tavern,* nine miles 
from the city of New York, his Excellency General "Wash- 
ington, and his Excellency George Clinton Esq. Governor 
of that State. They were attended by a number of Gentle- 
men of the army. Members of the Senate and Assembly, 
and other officers of distinction. The Continental troops 
are stationed at or near M'Gowan's pass,t our pickets are 
advanced to the Dove Tavern, five miles from the city." — 
Pennsylvania Journal, November 29, 1783. 

" I went from Peekskill Tuesday the 18 of Novemr. In Company with 
his Excellency Gover'r Clinton, Coll. Benson, and Coll Campbell, Lodge 
that night with G'enl Cortlandt at Croton Eiver, proceeded and lodged 
"Wednesday night [19th] at Edw. Covenhov'n [Tarrytown] where we mett 
his Excellency Genl Washington & his aids, the next Night [20th] Lodged 
with Mrs. Fred'k V Cortlandt at the Yonkers after having dined with Genl 
Lewis Morris. Fryday morning [21st] wee rode In Company with the 
Commander In Chief as far as the widow Day's at harlem, where we held 
a Council. Saturday [22d] I rode down to Mr. Stuyvesants stay'd there 
until Tuesday [25th]. Then rode Triumphant into the Citty with the 
Commander." — Note- Book of Lieutenant-Governor Van Cortlandt, "Maga- 
zine of American History," v. 134. 

* Near the corner of the present One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street 
and Eighth Avenue. 

f The encampment, of about eight hundred men, was on the present line 
of One Hundred and Tenth Street between Fifth and Eighth Avenues, the 
northern boundary of Central Park, 



812 



ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 



[1783 



SATUKDAY, NOVEMBER 22. 

At " Day's Tavern," Harlem : " Witli regard to the in- 
formation, that a deHberate combination has been formed 
to plunder the city of New York, I have to observe, that 
the intelligence appears to me not to be well-founded ; at 
least, no intimations of the kind had ever before come to 
my knowledge ; and I can assure your Excellency, that such 
arrangements have been made, as will, in my opinion, not 
only utterly discountenance, but effectually prevent, any 
outrage or disorder." — Washington to Sir Guy Carleton. 

'^ New York, Nov. 24, 1783. The Committee appointed to conduct the 
Order of receiving their Excellencies Governor Clinton and General 
Washington, Beg Leave to inform their Fellow-Citizens, that the Troops, 
under the command of Major-General Knox, will take Possession of the 
City at the Hour agreed on, Tuesday next ; as soon as this may be performed, 
he will request the Citizens who may be assembled on Horseback, at the 
Bowling-Green, the lower End of the Broad-Way, to accompany him to 
meet their Excellencies Governor Clinton and General Washington, at 
the Bull's Head,* in the Bowery — the Citizens on Foot to assemble at or 
near the Tea-water-Pump f at Fresh-water. ORDER of PROCESSION. 
A Party of Horse will precede their Excellencies and be on their flanks — 
after the General and Governor, will follow the Lieutenant-Governor and 
Members of the Council for the temporary Government of the Southern 
Parts of the State — The Gentlemen on Horse-back, eight in Front — those 
on Foot, in the Rear of the Horse, in like Manner. Their Excellencies, 
after passing down Queen-Street, and the Line of Troops up the Broad-way, 
will a-light at Cape's Tavern. The Committee hope to see their Fellow- 
Citizens, conduct themselves with Decency and Decorum on this joyful 
Occasion. " — Contemporary hand-bill. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25. 

At New York : " New York, Nov. 26. — Yesterday in the 
morning the American troops marched from Haerlem, to 



* The old Bowery Theatre, on the west side of the Bowery, just below 
Canal Street, opened in 1826, was erected on the site of the Bull'^ Head 
Tavern. The original building, destroyed by fire in 1828, was rebuilt, 
again destroyed in 1838, rebuilt, destroyed for the third time in 1845, and 
again rebuilt. It is now a German theatre, called " The Thalia." 

f Near the present junction of Chatham and Roosevelt Streets. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 313 

the Bowery lane. — They remained there [near the present 
junction of Third Avenue and the Bowery] until about one 
o'clock, when the British troops left the post in the Bowery, 
and the American troops marched in and took possession of 
the city. — After the troops had taken possession of the city, 
the General and Governor made their public entry in the 
following manner : — Their excellencies the general and gov- 
ernor with their suites on horseback. The lieutenant gov- 
ernor, and the members of the council for the temporary 
government of the southern district four a-breast. — Major- 
general Knox, and the officers of the army, eight a-breast. — 
Citizens on horseback, eight a-breast. — The speaker of the 
assembly, and citizens, on foot, eight a-breast. 

" Their excellencies the governor and commander in chief 
were escorted by a body of West Chester light horse, under 
the command of Captain Delavan, The procession pro- 
ceeded down Queen [now Pearl] Street, and through the 
Broad-way to Cape's Tavern. The governor gave a public 
dinner at Fraunces's tavern ; at which the commander in 
chief, and other general officers were present." — Pennsyl- 
vania Packet, December 2, 1783. 

Fraunce*^avem, at which Washington took up his quarters, was situated 
at what is now the southeast corner of Broad and Pearl Streets. Part of 
the original building, which was erected by Etienne De Lancey in 1700, is 
still standing. 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBEK 26. 

At New York : Receives and answers an address from 
the " Citizens of New York, who have returned from exile, 
in behalf of themselves and their suffiering Brethren." 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28. 

At New York : " On Friday [November 28] at Cape's 
Tavern the Citizens, who have lately returned from exile, 
gave an elegant Entertainment to his Excellency the Gov- 
ernor, and the Council for governing the city ; his Excellency 
General Washington, and the officers of the Army; about 



314 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

three hundred Gentlemen graced the feast." — The Remem- 
brancer, xvii. 190. 

Cape's tavern was on the west side of Broadway and north corner of the 
present Thames Street. The house, at the time of its erection one of the 
largest and finest structures in the city, was taken down in 1792, and the 
City Hotel built on its site. The Boreel building now occupies the ground. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER L 

At New York : " On Monday [December 1] a very ele- 
gant Entertainment was given at Cape's Tavern, by his 
Excellency the Governor, to his Excellency the Chevalier de 
la Luzerne, Ambassador from his most Christian Majesty 
to the United States. His Excellency General Washington, 
the principal Officers of this State and of the army, and 
upwards of an hundred Gentlemen were present, who passed 
the day and evening with great conviviality." — The Remem- 
brancer, xvii. 190. 

On the same day Washington received and answered an address from the 
freeholders and inhabitants of King's County, on Nassau or Long Island, 
State of New York. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2. 

At New York: Receives and answers an address from 
the " members of the volunteer associations, and other 
inhabitants of the Kingdom of Ireland lately arrived in the 
City." 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3. 

At New York : " On the 25th of November the British 
troops left this city, and a detachment of our army marched 
into it. ]The civil power was immediately put in possession, 
and I have the happiness to assure you, that the most perfect 
regularity and good order have prevailed ever sinceJ' — 
Washington to the President of Congress. 

" New York, December 3. — The splendid display of Fire- works last 
evening, was so highly satisfactory, that I must request you to present to 
Captain Price, under whose direction they were prepared ; and to the Officers 



( 

1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 315 

who assisted him, my thanks for the great skill and attention shewn in the 
conduct of that business." — Washington to General Knox. 

THUKSDAY, DECEMBEK 4. V 

At New York : " Last Thursday noon [December 4] the 
principal officers of the army in town assembled at Fraunce's 
tavern to take a final leave of their illustrious, gracious and ^^ 
much loved commander, General Washington. \ The passions 
of human nature were never more tenderly agitated than in 
this interesting and distressful scene. His excellency having 
filled a glass of wine, thus addressed his brave fellow-sol- 
diers : 

" ' With an heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave 
of you : I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as JisJ. 

prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and 
honorable.' 

" These words produced extreme sensibility on both sides ; 
they were answered by warm expressions, and fervent wishes, 
from the gentlemen of the army, whose truly pathetic feel- 
ings it is not in our power to convey to the reader. Soon 
after this scene was closed, his excellency the Governor, the 
honorable the Council and citizens of the first distinction 
waited on the general and in terms the most affectionate, 
took their leave. 

" The corps of light infantry was drawn up in a line, the 
commander in chief, about two o'clock passed through them 
on his way to Whitehall, where he embarked in his barge 
for Powles Hook [Jersey City]. He is attended by general / » -- 
le baron de Steuben ; proposes to make a short stay at Phil- 
adelphia ; will thence proceed to Annapolis, where he Will 
resign his Commission as General of the American armies, 
into the hands of the Continental Congress,* from whom it 
was derived, immediately after which his excellency will set 

* Congress adjourned at Princeton, November 4, to meet at Annapolis, 
Maryland, on the 26th. A quorum, however, was not present until Satur- 
day, the 13th of December, when nine States were represented. 



\ 



316 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

out for his seat, named Mount Vernon, in Virginia, emu- 
lating the example of his model, the virtuous Roman gen- 
eral, who, victorious, left the tented field, covered with 
\ honors, and withdrew from public life, otiam cum dlgnitaieA 
— Bivington's New York Gazette, December 6, 1783. 

SATUKDAY, DECEMBER 6. 

At Trenton, New Jersey : " Trenton, December 9, 1783. 
Last Saturday [December 6] arrived in this town his Excel- 
lency General "Washington, on his way to his seat in Vir- 
ginia. Immediately after his arrival he was waited upon by 
his Excellency the Governor [William Livingston], and a 
Committee of the Council and Assembly, by whom he was 
presented with an Address." — Independent Gazetteer, De- 
cember 20, 1783. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 8. 

At Philadelphia : " Yesterday [December 8] at noon his 
excellency General Washington arrived here [Philadel- 
phia] from New York. His Excellency was met at Frank- 
fort, by his excellency the President of this State [John 
Dickinson], the honorable the financier [Robert Morris], 
generals St. Clair and Hand, the Philadelphia, troop of 
horse, and a number of the citizens, who had the pleasure 
of accompanying the General into the city. His arrival 
was announced by a discharge of cannon, the bells were 
rang, and the people testified their satisfaction, at once 
more seeing their illustrious chief, by repeated acclama- 
tions." — Pennsylvania Packet, December 9, 1783. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9. 

At Philadelphia : Receives and answers an address from 
the General Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania, and 
one from the merchants of the city of Philadelphia. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10. 

At Philadelphia : Receives and answers an address from 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 317 

the President and the Supreme Executive Council of Penn- 
sylvania. 

" Philadelphia, Dec'r 10th. — After seeing the backs of the British Forces 
turned upon us, and the Executive of the State of New York put into 
peaceable possession of their Capital, I set out for this place — On Monday 
next I expect to leave the City, and by slow travelling arrive at Baltimore 
on Wednesday, where I will spend one day and then proceed to Annapolis 
and get translated into a private citizen." — Washington to James McHenry. 

THUKSDAY, DECEMBEK 11. 

At Philadelphia : A day of public thanksgiving, recom- 
mended by Congress, October 18. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12. 

At Philadelphia : " On Friday the 12th inst. the merchants 
of this city [Philadelphia], who on all occasions have mani- 
fested the sincerest attachment to our beloved Commander 
in Chief, had an elegant entertainment prepared for him 
at the City Tavern, as a fresh proof of their respect and 
attention. On this truly festive and happy occasion, toasts 
and sentiments were given. . . . The evening was closed 
with a ball, at which were present a very numerous and 
brilliant company of ladies and gentlemen." — Independent 
Gazetteer, December 30, 1783. 

On the same day Washington received and answered an address from the 
officers of the militia of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13. 

At Philadelphia : Receives and answers addresses from 
the magistrates of the city and county of Philadelphia; 
from the American Philosophical Society ; from the Trustees 
and Faculty of the University of the State of Pennsylvania ; 
and from the clergy, gentlemen of the law, and physicians 
of the city of Philadelphia. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15. 

Leaves Philadelphia : " The Illustrious General Washing- 
ton after Commanding the Army of the united States above 



318 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

Eight years, has just given the Americans Possession of 
"New York again, after the British had it in their hands 
more than Seven years, has this day Set out from Philad*. 
tov^ards his Seat in Virginia Escorted a little way out of 
Town by Their Excellency's de la Luzerne, Ambassador 
from France on his right, John Dickinson President of this 
State on his left, and the City Troop of Horse in the rear 
The Honourable Pob'. Morris & his Lady in a Carriage a 
little way ahead. Now I think from the Present appearance 
it is not Likely that I shall Have the Honour of Seeing that 
Great and Good Man again do therefore most Sincerely Con- 
gratulate him on the Noble Resolution he has fixed, That ia 
not to accept of any Public office hereafter but to spend the 
Remainder of his days in a Private life, is undoubtedly the 
best and Surest way to Preserve the Honours he so justly 
acquired during the Late War." — MS. Journal of Jacob 
Hiltzheimer, of Philadelphia. 

" Wilmington [Delaware], December 16. — Last evening his excellency 
general Washington arrived in this borough, on his way to his seat in Vir- 
ginia ; previous to his arrival he was met by the governor and council, the 
attorney-general, and other civil officers of the State, officers of the army 
and other gentlemen, who escorted him into town ; on his arrival he was 
saluted by thirteen discharges of cannon ; an elegant supper was provided, 
whilst the inhabitants demonstrated their joy by making large bonfires &c." 
— Pennsylvania Packet, December 23, 1783. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16. 

At Wilmington : Is waited on by the burgesses and other 
officers of the corporation, accompanied by a number of 
respectable inhabitants, and presented with an address, 
which he answers. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18. 

At Baltimore, Maryland : Is entertained at a public din- 
ner given to him, and receives and answers an address from 
the citizens. 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 319 

FKIDAY, DECEMBER 19. 

At Annapolis, Maryland : " The congress of the United 
States being then in session, at the city of Annapolis, gen- 
eral "Washington arrived there with suite, on Friday, the 
19th December, 1783, for the purpose of resigning his com- 
mission into their hands. He was met a few miles from 
the city, by generals Gates and Smallwood, accompanied 
by several of the principal inhabitants of the place, who 
escorted him to Mr. Mann's hotel, where apartments were 
prepared for his reception. His arrival was announced by 
the discharge of cannon. After receiving visits from many 
of the citizens, he waited on the president of congress." — 
Annals of Annapolis. 

SATUEDAY, DECEMBER 20. 

At Annapolis : Dines with the President of Congress, in 
company with the members of that body and the principal 
military and civil officers of the State. 

" In Congress, Annapolis, December 20. — A letter, of this day, from the 
commander in chief was read, informing Congress of his arrival in this city, 
with the intention of asking leave to resign the commission he has the 
honor of holding in their service, and desiring to know their pleasure in 
what manner it will be most proper to offer his resignation ; whether in 
writing or at an audience ; Whereupon, Resolved, That his excellency the 
commander in chief be admitted to a public audience on Tuesday next, at 
twelve o'clock. Resolved, That a public entertainment be given to the 
commander in chief on Monday next." — Journal of Congress. 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21. ' 

At Annapolis : " On Sunday morning, he returned the 
visits of the citizens and others who had waited on him." — 
Annals of Annapolis. 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22. 

At Annapolis : " On Monday, congress gave general 
Washington a public dinner, at the ball-room, where up- 
wards of two hundred persons of distinction are said to 



320 ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. [1783 

have been present ; and where every thing was provided by 
Mr. Mann, in the most elegant and profuse style. After 
dinner many toasts were drunk, accompanied by the dis- 
charge of cannon. At night the state-house was illumi- 
nated, where a ball was given by the general assembly, at 
which a very numerous and brilliant company of ladies was 
present. On this occasion general Washington opened the 
ball with Mrs. James Maccubbin, of this city, ofle of the 
most beautiful women of her day. An address was made 
to general Washington, on this occasion, by the corporate 
authorities of the city." — Annals of Annapolis. 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23. 

At Annapolis : " Congress assembled. Present Massachu- 
setts, Rhode-Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, 
Virginia, N'orth-Carolina ; and from the state of New- 
Hampshire, Mr. Foster, and from the state of South-Caro- 
lina, Mr. Read. 

" According to order, his excellency the commander in 
chief was admitted to a public audience, and being seated, 
the president [Thomas Mifflin], after a pause, informed him, 
that the United States in Congress assembled, were prepared 
to receive his communications; Whereupon, he arose and 
addressed as follows : 

" ' Mr. President : The great events on which my resig- 
nation depended, having at length taken place, I have now 
the honor of offering my sincere congratulations to Con- 
gress, and of presenting myself before them, to surrender 
into their hands the trust committed to me, and to claim the 
indulgence of retiring from the service of my country. 

" '[Happy in the confirmation of our independence and 
sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the 
United States, of becoming a respectable nation, I resign 
with satisfaction the appointment I accepted with diffidencej 
— a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a 
task ; which however was superseded by a confidence in the 



1783] ITINERARY OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. 321 

rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of 
the union, and the patronage of heaven. 

" ' The successful termination of the war has verified the 
most sanguine expectations ; and my gratitude for the inter- 
position of Providence, and the assistance I have received 
from my countrymen, increases with every review of the 
momentous contest. 

" ' While I repeat my obligations to the army in general, 
I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge, 
in this place, the peculiar services and distinguished merits 
of the gentlemen who have been attached to my person 
during the war. It was impossible the choice of confiden- 
tial ofiicers to compose my family should have been more 
fortunate. Permit me, sir, to recommend in particular, 
those who have continued in the service to the present 
moment, as worthy of the favourable notice and patronage 
of Congress. 

" ' I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last act 
of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest 
country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who 
have the superintendance of them to his holy keepimg. 

" ' Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire 
from the great theatre of action, and bidding an afiectionate 
farewell to the august body, under whose orders I have so 
long acted, I here ofifer my commission, and take my leave 
of all the employments of public life.' " — Journal of Con- 
gress. ^ 

Upon concluding the address, the Commander-in-Chief delivered his 
commission to the President of Congress, who, in receiving it, made an 
appropriate reply. The ceremony ended — a remarkable scene had been 
witnessed ; a memorable action performed — and George Washington, a 
private citizen, withdrew from the room. On the following morning he 
set out for Mount Vernon, his eight years and a half of service completed, — 
a service which, for unwearied devotion, unselfish patriotism, and unwonted 
forbearance, stands unequalled in the annals of this world's history I 

22 



INDEX. 



Adams, Captain, commands the " War- 
ren," 21 

Albany, freedom of, presented to Wash- 
ington, 266; Washington receives and 
answers an address from the Mayor 
of, 266 

Alden, Col. Ichabod, killed at Cherry 
Valley, 144 

Allen, Ethan, account of his attack on 
Montreal, his capture, 20 

Alliance, frigate, arrival of, at Boston, 
187 

Alliance with France, celebration of 
conclusion of treaty of, 128 ; anni- 
versary of, celebrated, 151, 152, 287 

American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 
AVashington elected a member of the, 
213 

American Philosophical Society, Wash- 
ington elected a member of the, 174; 
Washington receives and answers ad- 
dresses from the, 263, 317 

Andre, Major John, capture, trial, and 
death of, 192, 193 

Annapolis, reception to Washington at, 
249 ; public dinner given to Wash- 
ington at, 319 ; Washington resigns 
his commission at, 320, 321 

Appleby, Joseph, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, 226 

Appleton, Rev. Nathaniel, 22 

Arbuthnot, Admiral, arrives at New 
York with troops, 165 

Armstrong, Major John, author of the 
"Newburgh Addresses," 290 

Army, main Continental, strength of, 9, 
12, 28, 38, 51, 63, 70, 71, 73, 82, 94, 
101, 129, 227, 247; condition of, in 
May, 1781, 217; Washington con- 
gratulates the, on the successes in S. 
Carolina, 222 ; position of, before 
Torktown, 241, 242 ; discontent in 
the, 279, 289; the last cantonment 
of the, 281 ; gradual falling away of 
the, 299 ; discharged from service, 
306, 308 

Arnold, Col. Benedict (afterward Gen- 
eral), commands the detachment to 
penetrate into Canada, 15, 16; 



wounded in the assault on Quebec, 16 ; 
attacked on Lake Champlain by Sir 
Guy Carleton, 54 ; meets Washington 
at King's Ferry, 189 ; treason of, 191 ; 
plan for capture of, 195, 196 ; expedi- 
tion planned to capture, in Virginia, 
207 

Arnold, Col. Jacob, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, Morristown, 67 

Asgill, Capt. Charles, is released, 282, 
283 

Assemblies (dancing), held in Morris- 
town, 1780, 174 

Associations, Washington receives and 
answers an address from the members 
of volunteer, 314 

Augusta, frigate, British, blown up on 
the Delaware, 101 

Bache, Mrs. Sarah, 149, 204 

Baltimore, reception given to Washing- 
ton at, 238, 239 ; Washington receives 
and answers an address from the 
citizens of, 318; public dinner given 
to Washington at, 318 

Barclay, Thomas, note regarding, 60 ; 
house of, 61 

Barnes, Major John, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, 64 

Barras, Count de, arrives at Newport, 
218; joins Count de Grasse, 240 

Beers, Isaac, house of, 7 

Bennington, account of the victory at, 
84 

Berkeley house, 60 

Berrien, Judge, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, at Rocky Hill, 
304 

Bethlehem, Pa., during the Revolution, 
270 

Billings, Capt., killfed in the mutiny at 
Morristown, 203 

Birdsall, Daniel, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, at Peekskill, 
185 

Blanchard, Claude, opinion of Washing- 
ton by, 209 ; dines with Washington 
at Peekskill, 224 

Boston, assault on, strongly urged by 

323 



324 



INDEX. 



Washington, 28, 29; evacuation of, 
by the British, 32 ; small-pox in, 33 ; 
Washington receives and answers an 
address from the Selectmen of, 36 

Boudinot, Elias, address to Washington, 
as President of Congress, 304 

Bowdoin, James, Washington dines with, 
32 

Bowen, Jabez, Washington is enter- 
tained while at Providence at house 
of, 212 

Brandywine battle of, 88 

BrinckerhofiF, Col. John, Washington's 
head-quarters at Fishkill, at house of, 
141 

Bristol, R. I., an account of Washing- 
ton's passing through, 210 

Brodhead, Col. Daniel, attacks the 
Mingo and Muncy tribes of Indians, 
158 

Broglie, Prince de, description of the 
army at Verplanck's Point by, 277 

Broughton, Nicholas, first naval captain 
commissioned by Washington, 21 

Buck Tavern, location of, 90 

Burgoyne, Genl., and his whole army 
surrender, 99; anniversary of the 
surrender of, celebrated at Fredericks- 
burg by the army, 143 

Cadwalader, General John, at Cross- 
wicks, 65 

Caldwell, Mrs. James, shot by a British 
soldier, 179 

Canada, expedition planned to pene- 
trate into, 15 ; regiments to be raised 
for the expedition to, 26 ; account of 
the invasion of, 44 ; irruption into, 
abandoned, 117; invasion of, aban- 
doned, 148 

Cape's Tavern, situation of, 314 

Cards, see Gaming 

Carleton, Sir Guy, attacks General 
Arnold on Lake Champlain, 54; in- 
forms Washington of his arrival in 
New York, 262 ; in conference with 
Washington at Dobbs' Ferry, 295 

Caswell, Col. Richard, 35 

Champe, John, sent to capture Arnold, 
196 

Charleston, the surrender of, to Sir 
Henry Clinton, 179 ; evacuation of, 
by the British, 28^ 

Chastellux, Marquis de, visits Washing- 
ton at Preakness, 197 ; his impression 
of Washington, 197, 198 ; entertained 
by Washington at dinner, 198 ; pen- 
portrait of Washington by, 198, 199 ; 
entertained by Washington at New 
Windsor, 201 ; bids a final farewell to 
Washington at Newburgh, 283 ; de- 



scription of head-quartera at New- 
burgh by, 283 

Chatterton's Hill, 54 

Chesapeake, the, blockaded by Admiral 
Arbuthnot, 214 

Chew, Benjamin, Washington's head- 
quarters in Philadelphia at house of, 
251 

Church, Dr. Benjamin, 8 ; treachery of, 
17 

Cincinnati, Society of the, organized, 
300 ; Washington elected president- 
general of the, 299 

Cincinnatus of America, Washington 
alluded to as the, 148 

Circular Letter from AYashington to the 
Governors of the several States, 298 

City Tavern, Phila., description and 
location of, 5 ; farewell supper given 
to General Washington at, 5 ; Wash- 
ington entertained at dinner at the, 
254; merchants of Philadelphia give 
an entertainment for Washington at, 
.317 

Clinton, General Sir Henry, lands on 
Staten Island, 46 ; capture of, de- 
sired by Washington, 121 ; Charles- 
ton surrenders to, 179 ; failure of an 
attempt to capture, 202 

Clinton, General James, joins General 
Sullivan against the Indians, 158 

Cobble Hill, fortifications at, 21 ; can- 
nonade commenced at American works 
on, 30 

Coit, Captain, commands the "Harri- 
son," 21 

College of New Jersey, Washington at- 
tends the annual commencement of, 
305 ; makes a contribution to the, 
305 

Conciliatory Bills of Lord North, 126, 
127 

Concorde, frigate, arrives at Newport 
from Count de Grasse, 231 

Congress, committees of, in camp, 19, 
52, 1 18, 178, 203 ; Washington attends, 
39, 147, 148, 150, 252, 304; Washing- 
ton receives and answers an address 
from the President of, 251, 252, 304; 
proclamation of, for a cessation of 
hostilities, 294 

Constitution Island, 55, 66 

Continental Army, first raised, 25 

Conway Cabal, earliest public record 
bearing on the subject of the, 104 

Cooke, Governor Nicholas, 20, .36 

Cornwallis, Lord, lands on Staten Island, 
46 ; sails from Philadelphia to Eng- 
land, December 19, 1777, 118; re- 
turns to America June 6, 1778, 118; 
returns from a visit to England, 164 ; 



INDEX. 



325 



expedition determined upon to cap- 
ture, and his army, 232 

Council of AVar, at Cambridge. 10, 13, 
17, 19, 26, 28, 29 ; at Roxbury, 32 ; at 
Brooklyn, 48 ; at New York, 49, 50 ; at 
Kingsbridge, 53 ; at White Plains, 55 ; 
at Trenton, 65 ; at Neshaminy Camp, 
84; at Pennybacker's Mills, 94; at 
Whitpain, 101; at Whitemarsh, 106; 
at Valley Forge, 128, 131; at Hope- 
well, N. J., 133 ; at West Point, 203 

Cowpens, battle of, 206 

Crown Point, General Sullivan arrives 
at, 43 

Culper, a spy employed by Washington, 
160 

Custis, John Parke, arrives with Mrs. 
Washington at Cambridge, 22 ; death 
of, 247 

Danhury, the British set fire to stores 
and dwellings in, 72 

Dauphin of France, birth of, celebrated 
at West Point, 264, 265 ; at Philadel- 
phia, 268 

Day's Tavern, Harlem, Washington's 
head-quarters at, 311, 312 

Deane, Silas, Washington at house 
of, 8 

Deane, Simeon, bearer of despatches 
containing the treaties between France 
and the United States, 127 

Declaration of Independence proclaimed 
before the army, 43 ; anniversary of, 
celebrated by the army at New Bruns- 
wick, 136; at New Windsor, 160; at 
West Point, 267 

Delaware, the frigate, captured by the 
British, 95 

D'Estaing, Count, arrival of the fleet of, 
138 ; opinion given by, of Washing- 
ton, 139 

Destouches, Chevalier, sails from New- 
port for the Chesapeake, 213; returns 
to Newport after an engagement with 
Admiral Arbuthnot, 214 

De Wint House, Washington's head- 
quarters at Tappan, 186 

Dey, Col. Theunis, Washington's head- 
quarters at Preakness, at house of, 181, 
194 

Digby, Admiral, Washington authorizes 
an attempt to capture, 259 

Donop, Count, wounded and taken pris- 
oner, 100 

Dorchester Heights, Americans take pos- 
session of, 31 

Douglas House, council of war held at 
the, 65 

Doylestoion, Pa., location and description 
of, 133 



Drinker, Mrs. Henry, record of a visit 

to Valley Forge, April 6, 1778, 125 
Dumas, Count, quoted, 204; account of 

Washington's reception at Providence 

by, 211 
Dunlap, William, Washington sits to, 

for his portrait, 306 
Dunmore, Lord, cannonades the town of 

Norfolk, 28 ; arrives in New York, 47 
Du Ponceau, Peter S., impressions of, 

upon first seeing Washington, 120 
Dutch Reformed Church at Raritan, 

Washington receives and answers an 

address from the, 158 

Elizabethtown, the British destroy prop- 
erty at, 173 
Ellison, William, house of, Washington's 

head-quarters at New Windsor, 160, 

200 
Emlen, George, Washington's liead- 

quarters at house of, at Whitemarsh, 

103 
Enlistment of deserters and prisoners, 

Washington's disapproval of, 261 
Enlistments, the duration of the war 

attributed to temporary, 195 
Enos, Col. Roger, 16 
Erving, Mr., Washington dines at the 

house of, 32 
Entaw Springs, battle of, 242 

Fairfield, the British destroy, 162 

Falmouth, Maine, account of the de- 
struction of, 19 

Farewell Address, Washington's, to the 
armies of the United States, 308 

" Father of his Country," earliest ap- 
plication of the epithet, applied to 
Washington, 211 

Ferguson, Major Patrick, killed, 197 

Fersen, Count de, description of Wash- 
ington by, 190 

First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry, 
escorts Washington, 6, 7, 258, 316, 318 : 
letter from Washington to, 67, 68 

Flag, Union, displayed for the first time, 
25 

Flagg, Major, killed by Tories, 218 

Ford, Col. Jacob, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of the widow of, 
169 

Fort Clinton, taken by Sir Henry Clin- 
ton, 103 ; abandoned by order of Genl. 
Howe, 103 

Fort Lee, Washington present at the 
laying out of, 45 ; abandoned by the 
Americans, 57 

Fort Mercer, attack on, by the Hessians, 
100; evacuated by the Americans, 
105 



326 



INDEX. 



Fort Mifflin, evacuated by the Ameri- 
cans, 105 

Fort Montgomery, taken by Sir Henry 
Clinton, 103; abandoned by order of 
Genl. Howe, 103 

Fort Moultrie, 46 

Fort Sullivan, the British attack, 46 

Fort Washington, surrender of, 56, 57 

France, treaty with, celebration of the 
conclusion of the, 128 ; anniversary 
of, celebrated, 151, 152, 287 

France donates money to the United 
States, 221, 222 

Franklin, Benjamin, 19 

Fraunce's Tavern, Washington's quarters 
in New York at, 313; Governor Clin- 
ton gives a public dinner at, 313 ; 
Washington takes leave of the oflBcers 
of the army at, 315 

French army leaves Newport, 225 ; 
joins the American army at Phillips- 
burg, 226 ; at Verplanck's Point, 273 ; 
sails from Boston, 284 

French fleet, arrival of Count d'Estaing 
with the, 138 

Friends, committee of, from Phila., pre- 
sent Washington with the Society's 
" testimony," against war, 96 ; Wash- 
ington's objections to the general 
meetings of the, 122 

Frog's Point, British land at, 52, 53 

Furloughs, resolution of Congress in 
reference to, 297 

Gage, Genl. Thomas, returns to Eng- 
land, 18 

Gaming, Washington issues orders 
against all kinds of, 29, 52, 72, 73 

Gates, Genl. Horatio, 36 ; supersedes 
Genl. Sullivan, 44; appointed to com- 
mand the army in the northern de- 
partment, 81 ; appointed to the com- 
mand of the southern army, 196; 
defeated by Cornwallis at Camden, 
S. C, and removed from command, 
196 ; rejoins the army at Verplanck's 
Point, 279 

Gerard, M., visits the camp at Middle- 
brook, 155; his opinion of Washing- 
ton, 157 

Germantown, battle of, 95 ; Congress 
thanks the ofiScers and men who were 
at the, 97 

Gill, Moses, 8 

Gleason, Capt., killed at battle of Harlem 
Heights, 50 

Goddard, William, publisher of the 
" Queries, Political and Military," 164 

Grasse, Count de, arrival of, in Chesa- 
peake Bay, 237 ; Washington visits, 
240, 246 



Oray's Hill, Washington passes a night 
at a farm-house near, 86 

Greene, Col. Christopher, murdered by 
Tories, 218 

Greene, Genl. Nathaniel, opinion by, of 
Washingtoja, 11; illness of, 47; ap- 
pointed quartermaster-general, 114 ; 
Washington writes to President of 
Congress in reference to, 139, 140 ; 
appointed to take command of the 
southern army in place of Genl. Gates, 
196 

GriflBn, Samuel, 7 

Guilford Court-Houae, N. C, battle of, 
214 

Gulf Mill, location of, 109 

Hackensack, American army encamps 
at, 66 

Hale, Capt. Nathan, capture and execu- 
tion of, 52 

Hamilton, Alexander, appointed aide-de- 
camp to Washington, 69 

Harlem Heights, battle of, 50 

Harris, John, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, at Newtown, 64 

Harrison, Benjamin, 19 

Hartford, Conn., imposing ceremonies 
on Washington's appearance at, 189, 
190 

Hartley, David, 286 

Harvard College, confers the degree of 
Doctor of Laws upon Washington, 36 

Hasbrouck House, head-quarters of 
Washington at Newburgh, 260, 281, 
283 

Heath, Genl. William, Washington 
thanks for his services, 259 

Hessians, surprise and surrender of the, 
64 

Hickey, Thomas, execution of, 41 

Hill, Henry, Washington makes his 
head-quarters at country-seat of, 81 

Hobart, John Sloss, 6 

Hopkins, Com., meets Genl. Washing- 
ton, 36 

Hopper House, Bergen Co., N. J., Wash- 
ington's head-quarters at, 187-189 

Hostilities, cessation of, proclaimed, 294, 
295 

Howe, Admiral Lord, arrives at New 
York, 44 

Howe, Genl. Robert, quells the mutiny 
of the New Jersey troops, 205 

Howe, Genl. Sir AVilliam, succeeds Genl. 
Gage at Boston, 18 ; sails for Halifax, 
34; lands on Staten Island, 34, 43; 
lands at Turkey Point and issues his 
" Declaration," 86 ; the Declaration of, 
explained, 87 ; superseded in com- 
mand by Sir Henry Clinton, 131 



INDEX^ 



327 



Hudson River, Washington's wishes re- 
garding the defence of the, 116 
Hughes, Lieut.-Col. Isaac, 109 
Huntington, Jedediah, Washington dines 
at house of, 36 

Indians of the Six Nations, expedition 

against, 158 
Irvine, Genl. James, wounded and made 

prisoner, 107 

Jay, John, Washington while at Fish- 
kill visits, 144; appointed minister 
plenipotentiary to Spain, 167 

Jerseys, retreat through the, 58, 59 ; 
Thomas Paine's account of, in the 
" Amerijcan Crisis," 69 

Keith, William, Washington makes his 
head-quarters at house of, 61, 62, 63 

King's County, N. Y., Washington re- 
ceives and answers an address from 
inhabitants of, 314 

King's Mountain, battle of, 197 

Kingston, N. Y., burned by the British, 
103 

Knowlton, Col. Thomas, killed at battle 
of Harlem Heights, 50 

Knox, Henry (afterward General), notice 
of the military career of, 9, 10 ; ar- 
rives at camp with artillery from 
Ticonderoga, 26 ; services of, men- 
tioned, 26, 27 ; Washington at quarters 
of, at Pluckamin, 151 ; entertainment 
at quarters of, 152 

Knox, Hugh, remarkable prophecy of, 
concerning Washington, 70; notice 
of, 70 

Knyphausen, General, failure of an 
attempt to capture, 202 

Lafayette, Marquis de, meets Washing- 
ton for the first time, in Philadelphia, 
80 ; joins the army as major-general, 
84; sails for France, 148; returns to 
America, 178 ; presents each officer of 
the Light Infantry at Steenrapie with a 
sword, 186; ordered to Va. with a de- 
tachment of troops, 206, 207 ; ordered 
to join the southern army, 215; Abbe 
Robin's opinion of, 236, 237; returns 
to France, 248 

Lake George, 302 

Lamb's Dam, cannonade commenced at 
American works at, 30 

Laurens, Henry, Washington resides, 
while at Philadelphia, in 1779, at 
house of, 151 

Lauzun, Duke de, Washington reviews 
the Legion of, at Lebanon, 208; the 



French troops under, sail from the 
Capes of Delaware, 297 

Lechmere's Point, works built on, 22, 23, 
29 ; the British cannonade works on, 
30 

Lee, Genl. Charles, goes with Washing- 
ton to" Cambridge, 5 ; mentioned, 7, 9, 
10, 12; at Rhode Island, 23; goes to 
New York, 23 ; commands the south- 
ern military department, 24; joins 
the main army, 53 ; made prisoner, 
62 ; exchange of, 124 ; suspended from 
the army, 135 ; author of the " Queries, 
Political and Military," 164 

Leonard, Rev. Abiel, 22, 32 

Leslie, Col. William, notice of the fune- 
ral of, 66 

Levering's Ford, location of, 89 

Liberty Pole Tavern, Washington's head- 
quarters at Teaneck, N. J., 186 

Lincoln, Genl. Benjamin, elected Secre- 
tary of War, 206 ; in camp at Ver- 
planck's Point, 280 

Livingston, Robert R., elected Secretary 
for Foreign Affairs, 206 

Livingston, Van Brugh, house, confer- 
ence between Washington and Sir Guy 
Carleton at, 295 

Long Island, British land on, 47 ; battle 
of, 48, 49 

Luzerne, Chevalier de la, visits Wash- 
ington at West Point, 165 ; account of, 
166; arrives at camp at Morristown, 
175 ; gives a description to M. de 
Vergennes of his visit to camp, 176 ; 
Washington passes the night with, at 
Fishkill, 191 ; gives a dinner to Wash- 
ington and others in Philadelphia, 
237 

Lynch, Thomas, 19 

McCurdy, John, Washington spends the 

night at house of, 36 
McDougall, Genl. Alexander, elected 

Secretary of Marine, 206 
Mcllvain, John, Washington stays over 

night at house of, 89 
Magaw, Col. Robert, surrenders Fort 

Washington, 56 
Malin, Joseph, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, 90 
Manly, Capt. John, commands the 

" Lee," 21 ; captures a store-ship 

bound for Boston, 22 
Marailles, Don Juan, visits the camp at 

Middlebrook, 155; arrives at camp at 

Morristown, 175; death and funeral 

of, 176, 177 
Marbois, M., visits Washington at West 

Point, 165 ; account of, 166 
Markoe, Capt. Abram, 7 



328 



INDEX. 



Martin, Josiah, Governor of North Car- 
olina, 35 
Martindale, Captain, commands the 
" Washington," 21 ; captured and 
carried to England, 21 

Maryland, ratifies the "Articles of Con- 
federation," 206 

Masonic celebrations, Washington par- 
ticipates in the festival of St. John 
the Evangelist at Philadelphia, 147 ; 
at the "Robinson House," 160; at 
Morristown, 170; at Poughkeepsie, 
284 

Massachusetts, Washington receives and 
answers an address from the General 
Assembly of, 35, 303 

Matson's Ford, Lafayette's force retreats 
over the Schuylkill at, 130 

Matthews, David, 41 

Mawhood, Col., 66 

Medal of gold, struck in commemoration 
of the siege and acquisition of Boston, 
presented to Washington, 37, 38 

Mifflin, Col. Thomas (afterward Gen- 
eral), 6, 7 ; Washington, Gates, Adams, 
and others dine with, at Cambridge, 
27; at Bordentown, N. J., 65 

Miller House, Washington's head- 

. quarters at White Plains, 54 

Money, paper, depreciation of, 154, 155, 
156 

Monmouth Court-House, battle of, 135 

Montgomery, Richard (afterward Gen- 
eral), 6; takes the command of Genl. 
Schuyler's troops, 15 ; takes possession 
of Montreal, 16; killed at the assault 
on Quebec, 16; notice received of 
death of, 26 

Montreal, account of Ethan Allen's at- 
tack on, 20 

Moore Hall, Committee of Congress meet 
at, 118 

Moore, John, Washington at West Point 
makes his head-quarters at house of, 
163 

Moore's Creek, battle of, 35 

Morgan, Capt. Daniel (afterward Gen- 
eral), 13 ; commands the riflemen in 
detachment to penetrate into Canada, 
16 ; gains a victory over Col. Tarleton, 
206 

Morris, Gouverneur, 6 

Morris, James, Washington's head- 
quarters at Whitpain, at house of, 100 

Morris, Robert, elected Superintendent 
of Finance, 206 ; supplies the army 
with flour, 223; in camp at Phillips- 
burg, 230 ; raises money to pay the 
troops, 234, 235 ; Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, Philadelphia, 
236; Washington accepts an invita- 



tion to dine with, on Christmas day, 
1781, 253 

Morris, Roger, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, 37, 51, 57 

Morristown, situation of the army for 
want of supplies at, 169, 171; severe 
weather at, in 1780, 171-175; mutiny 
among the Penna. troops at, 203 

Mortier House, Washington's head- 
quarters at the, 37 

Mott's Tavern, Harlem Plains, Washing- 
ton at, 50 

Moultrie, Col. William, 46 

Mowatt, Lieut., 19 

Murray, Robert, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, 60 

Nash, Genl. Francis, burial-place of, 97 ; 
funeral of, 97 

Navy, formation of a, 21 

"New Building," location of, 288; 
Washington's appeal to the officers of 
the army read at the, 288, 290 

Newhurgh, Washington receives and 
answers an address from the officers 
of the army at, 298 

"Newburgh Addresses," Major John 
Armstrong author of, 290 

New Haven, the British enter the town, 
plunder it, and burn the public stores, 
161 

Neio Jersey, State of, evacuated by Genl. 
Howe, 75 ; mutiny among the troops 
of, in 1781, 205 

Newport, evacuated by the British, 167 ; 
Washington's birthday celebrated at, 
February, 1781, 207; Washington's 
reception at, 209 ; receives and an- 
swers an address from the inhabitants 
of, 209 

New Yorh, Provincial Congress of, 
Washington receives and answers an 
address from the, 7 ; entertains Wash- 
ington and his suite, 40 ; fire in, 51 ; 
the British evacuate, 313; Washing- 
ton's entry into, 313 ; Washington 
receives and answers an address from 
the citizens of, 313 

Nicola, Col. Lewis, letter of, to Wash- 
ington, 263 

Nook's Hill, fortified by the Americans, 
32 

Norfolk, destruction of, 27, 28 

North, Lord, Conciliatory Bills of, 126, 
127 

Norwalk, burnt by the British, 162 

Odell House, Rochambeau's head- 
quarters at the, 226 

Old Congregational Church, Cambridge, 
location of, 22 



INDEX. 



329 



Orangetown, see Tappan 
Oriakany, battle of, 83 
Oswald, Richard, 286 

Paine, Thomas, influence of his pam- 
phlet " Common Sense," 27 ; quota- 
tion from his " American Crisis," 59 ; 
letter from, to Washington, 276 

Palfrey, William, 36 

Parker, Sir Peter, 46 

Peace, general treaty of, 271, 292 ; pre- 
liminary treaty of, 286, 291, 294; 
definitive treaty of, 286, 307 

Peale, Charles Willson, Washington 
consents to sit to, for his portrait, 
150 ; exhibits a number of trans- 
parent scenes at his house in honor 
of Washington's arrival in Philadel- 
phia, 251 ; Washington is requested 
to sit for his portrait to, for the Col- 
lege of New Jersey, 305 

Pennsylvania troops, mutiny among 
the, 203, 302 

Pennsylvania, Washington receives and 
answers addresses from the Supreme 
Executive Council of, 252, 317; from 
the House of Assembly of, 252, 316 

Pennybacker, Samuel, Washington 
makes his head-quarters at house of, 
93 

Peters, Richard, in camp at Phillips- 
burg, 230 

Philadelphia, Lord Cornwallis takes 
possession of, 92 ; the British in full 
possession of, 106 ; the British evacu- 
ate, 132; banquet given by Congress 
at, to celebrate the French alliance, 
160 ; Washington receives and an- 
swers addresses from the magistrates 
of, 252, 317; from the merchants of, 
316; from the oflScers of the militia 
of, 317 ; from the clergy, gentle- 
men of the law, and physicians of, 
317 

Plowed Hill, Americans take possession 
of, 16 

Pluckamin. the anniversary of the al- 
liance with France celebrated at, 151, 
152 

Pompton, mutiny of the New Jersey 
troops stationed at, 205 

Poor, Genl. Enoch, account of funeral 
of, 187, 188 

Portsmonth, Va., the town of, sacked by 
the British, 158 

Potts, Isaac, house of, at Valley Forge, 
used by Washington as his head- 
quarters, 111 

Potts, John, Washington makes his 
head-quarters at house of, 92 

Powder, scarcity of, 14, 15, 16,22; Capt. 



Whipple ordered to Bermuda to cap- 
ture a magazine of, 20 

Powel House, location of, 149 

Powel, Mrs. Samuel, 149 

Powles Hook, surprise and capture of, 
by the Americans, 165 

Prescotl, Genl. Richard, exchanged for 
Genl. Lee, 124 

Prince William Henry (afterward Wil- 
liam IV.), Washington authorizes an 
attempt to capture, 259 

Princeton, battle of, 66 

Profanity, Washington's views concern- 
ing, and orders against, 46, 164 

Providence, reception to Washington at, 
211 

Public virtue, Washington laments the 
decay of, 148, 154, 156 

Quakers, see Friends 
Quesnay, Alexander, 254 
Quihbletown, N. J., 74 

Ramapo, N. J., location of, 79, 181 

Ramsay, William, Washington receives 
and answers an address from, 248 

Red Bank, N. J., battle of, 100 

Reed, Joseph, 6, 118, 145, 203 

Reed, Mrs. Joseph, 204 

Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of 
Albany, Washington receives and an- 
swers an address from, 266 

Reidesel, Baron, 44 

Religious services, chaplains directed to 
perform, every Sunday, 74 ; Washing- 
ton's orders concerning, 128; Wash- 
ington attends, at Wethersfield, 220 ; 
Washington recommends the troops to 
attend, after the surrender of York- 
town, 246 ; Washington attends, at 
Bethlehem, Pa., 269 ; ordered to be 
performed every Sunday at the " New 
Building," New Windsor, 288; Wash- 
ington's views concerning the eflFect 
of regub.r, upon the army, 292 

Revolution, the, not premeditated in the 
beginning, 301 

Rhode Island, taken possession of by the 
British, 67 ; Genl. Sullivan evacuates, 
67; evacuated by the British, 167; 
the French fleet and army at, 183^ -- 

Ribbons, to be worn by the general offi- 
cers, in order to distinguish them, 11 

Riflemen, companies of, to be raised, 
13 

Ring, Benjamin, Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, at Chadd's Ford, 
88 

Rincfwood, N. J., location of, 159 

Robin, Abb6, opinion of Washington by, 



330 



INDEX. 



230; opinion of Lafayette by, 236, 
237 

Robinson House, Washington visits the 
hospital at the, 142; Masonic cele- 
bration at the, 160 ; location of, 184; 
the head-quarters of Arnold at the 
time he coinmanded West Point, 184, 
189 

Rochambeau, Count de, arrives at New- 
port, 182; in conference with Wash- 
ington at Hartford, 189, 190; Wash- 
ington attends a ball given by, at 
Newport, 209 ; Washington at Weth- 
ersfield arranges with, a plan of cam- 
paign, 220 ; Washington visits, at 
North Castle, 226; cannon captured 
at Yorktown, presented to, 257; at 
Philadelphia, 237, 268 ; at Verplanck's 
Point, 275; at Newburgh, 284; re- 
turns to France, 284 

Rodney, Admiral, arrives from the West 
Indies with ten ships, 194 

Saint Patrick, the Society of the 
Friendly Sons of, see Society 

Saratoga, Washington visits, 266, 302 

Saratoga Springs, Washington proposes 
to purchase, 303 

Savannah, capture of, by the British, 
153; the British evacuate, 272 

Schenectady, Washington's reception at, 
266, 267 

Schuyler, Genl. Philip, 6; takes com- 
mand of the N. Y. department, 7; 
transfers his command to Genl. Rich- 
ard Montgomery, 15 ; Washington 
congratulates, on his acquittal of the 
charge of neglect of duty, 146 

Schuylkill Falls, Pa., Lafayette's ac- 
count of the review of the troops at, 
82 

Segur, Count de, description of Wash- 
ington by, 278 

Selman, Captain, commands the " Frank- 
lin," 21 

Shaw, Capt. Nathaniel, Washington 
sleeps at house of, 36 • 

Silly, Chevalier de, notice of Washing- 
ton by, 210 

Simitiere, Pierre Eugene du, Washing- 
ton sits to, for his portrait, 150 

Small-pox, in Boston, 33 ; measures 
taken to prevent the spread of, among 
the soldiers, 71 

Smith, Joshua Hett, capture of, 192 ; 
sketch of, 192; Washington's head- 
quarters at house of, 233 

Smith, Melancthon, 6 

"Society of the Friendly Sons of St. 
Patrick," the, entertain Washington 
at a dinner, 254 



Somerset County, N. J., Washington re- 
ceives and answers an address from 
the officers of the militia of, 309 

South Carolina, embarkation of troops 
for the invasion of, 175 ; the British 
evacuate all posts in, 255 

Springfield, N. J., burned by the Brit- 
ish, 180 

Spurious letters, attributed to Wash- 
ington, 130, 131 

Staten Island, Genl. Howe lands on, 34, 
43 ; Genl. Sir Henry Clinton lands on, 
46 ; Lord Cornwallis lands on, 46 ; 
Washington makes preparations to 
attack, 172 

Steenrapie, the American army en- 
camps at, 186 

Stenton, Washington makes his head- 
quarters at, 85 

Steuben, Baron, arrival of, in camp, 
120 ; appointed inspector-general of 
the American army, 123; description 
of the army at Valley Forge by, 
123 . 

Stillwater, battle of, 93 ; second battle 
of, 98 

Stockton, Mrs. Richard, 269 

Stonington, bombarded, 19 

Stony Point, Washington advises Genl. 
Wayne to attack, 162; taken by Genl. 
Wayne, 162, 163 

Suffolk, Va., the town of, burned by the 
British, 158 

Sullivan, Genl. John, arrives with the 
army at Crown Point, 43 ; succeeds 
Genl. Thomas, 44 ; superseded by Genl. 
Gates, 44 ; takes command upon Long 
Island, 47 ; marches against the In- 
dians, 158 

Swearing, see Profanity 

Tappan, location of, 186 

Ternay, Admiral de, in conference with 
Washington at Hartford, 189 

Thacher, Dr. James, description of 
Washington at Cambridge by, 12 ; de- 
scribes Washington when on a visit to 
the hospital at the " Robinson House," 
142; pen portrait of, by, 152, 153 

Thomas, Genl. John, arrives at camp 
near Quebec, 44 ; dies of small-pox at 
Chamblee, 44 

Thompson, Col. William (afterward Gen- 
eral), 13, 44 

Throck's Point, British land at, 52, 53 

Ticonderoga, evacuation of, by Genl. St. 
Clair, 75, 76 ; the opinion of Wash- 
ington regarding the, 77 

Trophies of war, two stands of colors 
taken at Yorktown, presented to 
Washington, 253 ; cannon captured at 



INDEX. 



331 



Yorktown, presented to Count de Ro- 

chambeau, 257, 285 
"True American Inn," Washington's 

head-quarters at Trenton, 64 
Trumbull, Governor Jonathan, meets 

and dines with Washington, 36 
Tryon, Governor William, 41, 72 
Turkey Point, British, under Sir William 

Howe, land at, 86 

Uniforms for the troops of the different 
States prescribed, 166; for the com- 
missioned officers, prescribed 179 

Union, Federal, importance of a, 293, 
298, 301 

University of Pennsylvania, Washing- 
ton receives and answers addresses 
from the, 252, 317; attends a com- 
mencement of the, 258 

Yalco%ir Island, Lake Champlain, Sir 
Guy Carleton attacks General Arnold 
at, 54 

Valley Forge determined upon for win- 
ter-quarters, 107 ; Washington's direc- 
tions for building huts at, 110; loca- 
tion of, 111; condkion of the troops at, 
112, 113, 114, 118, 119 

Van Berekel, Peter John, received as 
minister from the United Netherlands, 
307 

Van Cortlandt House, near Peekskill, 
occupied by Washington as his head- 
quarters, 223 

Van Doren, John, Washington and his 
staff at house of, 66 

Vassall, John, Washington's head-quar- 
ters at house of, 9 

Vaudreuil, Marquis de, arrival of, at 
Boston, 271 ; sails from Boston, 271 

Verplanck's Point, the allied armies at, 
273 ; Prince de Broglie's description 
of the American army at, 277 

Viomgnil, Baron de, 244; sails with the 
French army from Boston, 284 

Wadsworth, Col. Jeremiah, elected com- 
missary-general, 115; Washington 
writes to the President of Congress in 
reference to, 140 ; receives Washing- 
ton and his suite at Hartford, Conn., 
189, 190 

Wallace House, Middlebrook, N. J., 
Washington's head-quarters at the, 146 

Walnut Grove, head-quarters of Wash- 
ington, 109 

Walpole, Horace, opinion of Washing- 
ton by, 66 

Wampole, Frederick, Washington's 
head-quarters at Towamencin, at the 
farm-house of, 97 



War, duration of the, attributed to tem- 
porary enlistments, 195 
Ward, Genl. Artemas, at Roxbury, 12 ; 

resignation of, 24 
Warwick Furnace, location of, 91 
Washington, General George, 
at Acquackanoc, 57 

" Albany, 265-267, 302 

" Alexandria, 248 

" Amboy, 39, 45 

" Annapolis, 249, 250, 319-321 

" Appleby Place, 226 

" Arnold's Tavern, 67 

" Ballston, 302 

" Baltimore, 238, 250, 318 

" Barclay's (Bucks Co., Pa.), 61 

" Barney's Ferry, 209 

" Beaumont's, Pa., 63 

" Beers, Isaac, house of, 7 

" Berkeley's (Bucks Co., Pa.), 60 

" Berrien House, 304, 306 

« Bethlehem, 269, 270 

" Billingsport, N. J., 80 

" Birdsall House, 185 

" Boston, 32-34 

" Bowen, Jabez, house of, 212 

" Brandywine, 88 

" Brinckerhoff House, 141 

" Bristol, R. I., 210 

" Brookfield, 8 

" Brooklyn, 48 

" Buck Tavern, 89 

" Bull's Head Tavern, 312 

" Burlington, N. J., 258 

" Cambridge, 8-24, 25-36 

" Cape's Tavern, 313, 314 

" Chadd's Ford, Pa., 83 

« Chatham, N. J., 234 

" Chester, Pa., 80, 88 

" Chew House, 251 

" City Tavern, Phila., 5, 236, 254, 
317 

" Clove, the, 76, 78, 159, 160 

" Coryell's Ferry, 79, 133 

" Craigie House, 9 

" Cranberry, N. J., 134 

" Cross Roads, Pa., 83 

" Crown Point, 302 

" Day's Tavern, 311, 312 

" Deane, Silas, house of, 81 

" De Wint House, 186, 310 

" Dey House, 181, 194 

" Dobbs' Ferry, 225, 279, 280, 295, 
296 

" Dorchester Heights, 31 

" Doylestown, 132 

" Easton, 270 

" Elizabethtown, N. J., 145 

" Ellison House, 160, 200 

" Eltham, Va., 247 

" Emlen House, 103 



332 



INDEX. 



Washington, General George, 

at Englishtown, N. J., 135, 136 
" Esopus, 283 
" Farinington, 219, 221 
" Fishkill, 141, 142, 191 
" Flemington, N. J., 199 
" Ford House, 169 
" Fort Edward, 302 
" Fort Lee, 45, 56, 57 
" Fort Mercer, 80 
« Fort Miflain, 80 
" Fort Montgomery, 55, 162 
" Fort Schuyler, 302 
" Fort Stanwix, 302 
" Frankford, Pa., 252, 316 
" Fraunce's Tavern, 313, 315 
« Fredericksburg, N. Y., 140, 141, 

143, 144 
" Fredericksburg, Va., 247 
" Galloway's, N. Y., 78 
" Germantown, 95, 104 
" Gulf Mill, 109, 110 
" Hackensack, 56, 57, 187 
" Hackettstown, 199 
" Harlem, 311, 312 
" Harlem Heights, 50, 51, 52 
" Harris, John, house of, 64 
" Hartford, 189, 190, 208, 212 
" Hasbrouck House, 260, 281, 283 
" Haverstraw, N. Y., 138, 139 
" Head of Elk, Md., 238 
« High Rock Spring, 303 
" Hill, Henry, house of, 81 
" Hope, N. J., 270 
" Hopewell, N. J., 133 
" Hopper House, 187-189 
" Huntington, Jedediah, bouse of, 

36 
" Keith House, 61, 62, 63 
" Kingsbridge, 7, 41, 51, 53, 228, 

229 
" King's Ferry, 56, 138, 233, 234 
" Kingston, N. J., 66, 134 
" Kingston, N. Y., 282 
" Kip's Bay, 50 
" Lake George, 302 
" Lebanon, Conn., 208 
" Lechmere's Point, 22, 23 
" Leiperville, Pa., 89 
" Levering's Ford, 89 
" Liberty Pole Tavern, 186 
" Lispenard, Col., country-seat of, 6 
" Litchfield, Conn., 191, 219, 221 
" Livingston, Van Brugh, house 

of, 295 
« Lyme, Conn., 36 
" McCurdy, John, house of, 36 
" Mcllvain, John, house of, 89 
" McKonkey's Ferry, 63 
" Malin, Joseph, house of, 90 
" Marcus Hook, 80 



Washington, General George, 
at Marlborough, Mass., 8 
" Matson's Ford, 89, 108 
" Methacton Hill, 94 
" Middlebrook, 73-75, 145-147, 

151-159 
" Miller House, 54 
" Monmouth Court-House, 135 
" Moore's House, 163 
" Morgan's Tavern, 219 
" Morris, James, house of, 100 
" Morris, Robert, house of, 236 
" Morris, Roger, house of, 37, 51, 

57 
" Morristown, 66-7.3, 75, 170-178, 

199, 258, 259 

" Mortier House, 37 

" Mott's Tavern, 50 

" Mount Vernon, 239, 248 

" Murray, Robert, house of, 50 

" Neshaminy Camp, 82-84 

" Newark, N. J., 6, 57 

" New Brunswick, 6, 58, 136, 235 

" Newburgh, 259-265, 267, 268, 

270-272, 281-303 
" New Germantown, N. J., 131 
" New Haven, 7, 36 
" New London, 36 
" Newport, Del., 87, 88 
" Newport, R. I., 208-210 
" New Rochelle, 7 
" Newtown, Pa., 64 
"New Windsor, N. Y., 160-16.3, 

200, 201, 203-208, 212-219, 
221 222 

" New 'York, 6, 7, 36-38, 40-47, 

49, 312-315 
" Nicetown, Pa., 85 
" North Castle, N. Y., 54, 226 
" Norwich, Conn., 36 
" Orangetown, 186, 295, 310 
" Otsego Lake, 302 
" Paramus, N. J., 137, 138, 145, 

193 
" Parker's Ford, 91 
" Patterson, N. Y., 140 
" Peekskill, 65, 56, 169, 184, 185, 

188, 223, 224 
" Pennybacker's Mills, 91, 93-97 
" Pennybacker, Samuel, house of, 

93 
" Perkiomen Creek, 91 
" Philadelphia, 1-5, 39, 40, 80, 81, 

85, 147-151, 235-237, 250-258, 

268, 269, 316, 317 
" Phillipsburg, 225-232, 279 
" Pluckamin, N. J., 66, 151 
" Point of Rocks, N. Y., 50 
" Pompton, N. J., 76, 259 
" Pottsgrove (Pottstown), 91-93, 

269 



INDEX. 



333 



Washington, General George, 
at Potts, Isaac, house of. 111 
" Potts Mansion, 92 
" Poughkeepsie, 283, 284, 297 
" Powel, Mrs., house of, 149 
" Preakness, N. J., 181-183, 194- 

199 
« Princeton, 58, 65, 304-307 
" Providence, R. I., 36, 210, 211 
" Quibbletown, N. J., 74 
" Ramapo, N. J., 78, 79, 180 
" Reading, N. J., 79 
" Red Lion Tavern, 90 
" Richmond Hill, 37 
" Ring, Benjamin, house of, 88 
" Ringwood, N. J., 159, 205, 259, 

295 
" Robinson Honse, 142, 160, 184, 

191 192 
" Rocky Hill, N. J., 304-309 
" Roxbury, 9, 11, 21, 32 
" Saratoga, 266, 302 
" Saratoga Springs, 303 
" Schenectady, 266, 302 
" Schuylkill Falls, Pa., 81, 82, 89 
" Schwenksville, Pa., 93 
" Shaw, Capt. Nathaniel, house of, 

36 
" Skippack, Pa., 94 
" Smith, Joshua Hett, house of, 233 
" Smith's Tavern, 159, 160 
" Somerset Court-House, 66 
" Springfield, Mass., 8 
" Springfield, N. J., 179, 180 
" Staten Island, 38, 39 
" Stenton, homestead of the Logan 

family, 85 
" Suflfern's Tavern, 77 
" Sussex Court-House, 199, 270 
" Swede's Ford, 108 
" Tappan, 185, 192, 193, 295, 310 
" Teaneck, N. J., 186 
" Ticonderoga, 302 
" Towamencin, Pa., 95, 97, 98 
" Trenton, 4, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 235, 

316 
" Trenton Falls, camp above, 62, 

63 
" "True American Inn," 64 
" Valentine's Hill, 53, 224, 225, 

228 
" Valley Forge, 110-132 
" Van Cortlandt House, 223 
" Van Doren, John, house of, 66 
" Vassall, John, house of, 9 
" Vernon, William, house of, 210 
" Verplanck's Point, 273-280 
" Wadsworth, Col. Jeremiah, house 

of, 189 
" Wallace House, 146 
" Walnut Grove, 109 



Washington, General George, 

at Wampole, Frederick, at house of, 

97 
" Warren Tavern, 90 
" Warwick Furnace, 91 
" Watertown, Mass., 8 
" Webb House, Wethersfield, 219 
" Wentz, Peter, house of, 98 
" West Point, 138, 140, 160, 163- 
168, 200, 202, 203, 204, 214, 
216, 218, 233, 260, 264, 281, 
304, 310 
" Wethersfield, 8, 219-221 
" Whippany, N. J., 180 
" White Horse Tavern, 90 
" Whitemarsh, Pa., 103-108 
" White Plains, 53-55, 139, 140 
" Whitpain, Pa., 99-102 
" Williamsburg, Va., 239 
" Wilmington, Del., 85-87, 318 
" Wolcott, Oliver, at house of, 191 
" Wood Creek, 302 
" Worcester, Mass., 8 
" Worcester, Pa., 95, 98, 99 
" Wynkoop, Col. Cornelius, house 

of, 282 
" Wythe House, 240 
" Yellow Springs, Pa , 90 
" Yorktown, 241-247 
" Zabriskie, Peter, house of, 56 
Washington, General George, elected 
commander-in-chief of the American 
forces, 1 ; receives his commission, 3 ; 
ill at Morristown, in 1777, 71 ; forged 
letters of, 130, 131 ; views of, concern- 
ing the times and men in 1778, 148; 
birthday of, celebrated at Newport, 
February, 1781, 207; "Father of his 
Country," earliest application of the 
epithet to, 211 ; parties sent out to take 
or assassinate, 215 ; issues a circular 
letter to the governors of the several 
States, 298 ; issues his farewell address 
to the armies of the United States, 
308 ; description of the horse and sad- 
dle of, 309 ; resigns his commission to 
Congress, 320, 321 
Washington, Mrs., letter from General 
Washington to, regarding his ap- 
pointment as commander-in- 
chief, 3 
at Baltimore, 250 
" Cambridge, 22 

" Middlebrook, 152, 153, 155 ^ / 
" Morristowny^59 / / 

" Newburgh, 259, 283 
" New Windsor, 200, 223 
" New York, 37, 42 
« Philadelphia, 40, 149, 151, 250, 

252, 253 
" Pluckamin, 152 



■■^^ 



334 



INDEX. 



Washington, Mrs., 
at Pompton, 259 ' 
" Ringwood, 269 
" Rocky Hill, 307 
" Valley Forge, 121 

Washington, Lund, Washington disap- 
proves the action of, in furnishing 
the enemy with provisions, 216 

Watson, Elkanah, account of a visit to 
Valley Forge by, 125 

Wayne, Genl. Anthony, court-martial 
on, held at Whitpain, 102; takes 
Stony Point, 162, 163 

Webb, Joseph, Washington lodges at 
bouse of, at Wethersfield, 219 

Wentz, Peter, Washington's head-quar- 
ters at house of, at Worcester, 98 

West PotJit, first notice taken of, 55; 
fortifications to be erected at, 117 

Whipple, Capt. Abraham, ordered to 
Bermuda to capture a magazine of 
powder, 20 ; appointed by the R. Is. 
Assembly to command a vessel, 21 

Whipple, Christopher, appointed by the 
R. Is. Assembly to command a vessel, 
21 

White Plains, battle of, 54 

William and Mary College, Williams- 



burg, Washington receives and an- 
swers an address from, 247 

Wilmington, Del,, Washington receives 
and answers an address from the in- 
habitants of, 318 

Wilmington, N. C, evacuated by the 
British, 255 

Wolcott, Genl. Oliver, entertains Genl. 
Washington, 191 

Wooster, Genl. David, 7; relieves 
Arnold at Quebec, 44 ; death of, 72 

Wynkoop, Col. Cornelius, Washington 
passes the night with, 282 

Wythe House, Washington's head-quar- 
ters at Williamsburg, 240 

Yale College, Washington reviews a 
military company of students of, 7 ; 
degree of Doctor of Laws conferred on 
Washington by, 218 

Yorktown, Washington on the march to, 
240 ; siege of, 241-245 ; surrender of, 
245, 246; strength of the combined 
army at, 247 

Zabriskie, Peter^ Washington at boase 
of, 56 



THE END. 



Printed by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. 



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